Managing "Skill vs. Will": The 2x2 Matrix for Sales Coaching
By Shawn Hamilton, M.S., DBA(c) Shawn Hamilton is a leading sales leadership advisor and doctoral researcher at the University of Houston, specializing in Sales Leadership.
Managing "Skill vs. Will": The 2x2 Matrix for Sales Coaching
One of your reps is missing their number. What do you do?
Most sales leaders have two default reactions: either put the rep on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) or just "coach them harder."
Both of these are one-size-fits-all "solutions" that fail to address the root cause. When a rep is underperforming, the leader's job is not to be an enforcer; it's to be a diagnostician. And the single best diagnostic tool for this is the "Skill vs. Will" matrix.
This framework, grounded in classic management theory, argues that any performance problem can be sorted into one of four quadrants. Applying the wrong fix to the wrong quadrant will, at best, fail to solve the problem and, at worst, accelerate the departure of a rep you could have saved.
The 2x2 Matrix for Diagnosing Underperformance
Imagine a simple matrix. The Y-axis is "Skill" (low to high) and the X-axis is "Will" (low to high).
High Will / High Skill (The Star): This is your A-Player. They have the motivation and the ability. Your Job: Don't micromanage. Challenge, empower, and retain them. Give them new challenges and a path to mastery.
High Will / Low Skill (The Enthusiast): This is often a new hire or a rep in a new territory. They are motivated, eager, and working hard, but they simply don't know how to do the job yet. Your Job: Train and coach. They need intensive "Behavioral Coaching", "game tape" reviews, and a structured onboarding process. A PIP is insulting and demotivating.
High Skill / Low Will (The Jaded Performer): This is the most complex quadrant. This rep can perform—they may have been a star—but they won't. Their motivation is gone. This could be burnout, boredom, or a "Toxic A-Player" attitude. Your Job: Motivate and re-engage. This is not a skill problem, so training is useless. You must use "intentional" 1:1s to find the why. Do they need a new challenge? Do they feel unrecognized?
Low Skill / Low Will (The Mis-Hire): This rep lacks both the ability and the motivation to improve. They are often a product of a "gut feel" hiring process. Your Job: Manage out. This is not a coaching problem; it is a hiring problem. Your time is better spent coaching the "High Will/Low Skill" rep. Be respectful, be decisive, and part ways.
Actionable Takeaways: How to Be a Performance Diagnostician
The "Intentional Communication" we discussed is the method you use to gather the data for this diagnosis.
Diagnose Before You Prescribe. Before your next 1:1 with an underperformer, plot them on this matrix. Write down specific, observable behaviors that justify your placement. Is their call volume low (Will) or is their discovery call technique poor (Skill)?
Apply the Right Tool. Based on the quadrant, create a specific plan. For the "Enthusiast," your plan is a 30-day skill boot camp. For the "Jaded Performer," your plan is a 30-day engagement plan, focused on finding a new "motivator" (per Herzberg).
Be Decisive on "Low/Low". A leader's time is their most valuable asset. Every minute you spend trying to "coach" a Low Skill/Low Will rep is a minute you steal from the reps who are coachable and motivated.
Stop treating all underperformance as the same problem. Be a leader. Be a diagnostician.
References
Note: This framework is a widely adopted application of foundational management theory, most famously synthesized in Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard's model of Situational Leadership®. Their model argues that leadership style must adapt to the follower's "readiness," which they define as a combination of "ability" (skill) and "willingness" (will).
Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. H. (1977). Management of organizational behavior: Utilizing human resources. Prentice-Hall.
Herzberg, F. (2003, January). One more time: How do you motivate employees? Harvard Business Review, 81(1), 87–96.
