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In this episode of Coach to Scale, we sit down with Sriharsha "Sai" Guduguntla, co-founder of Hyperbound, to unpack one of the most pressing challenges in revenue leadership: the coaching crisis. Despite billions invested in enablement tools, most frontline managers still spend less than 5% of their time actually coaching, and it's costing teams deals, confidence, and retention. Sai shares how Hyperbound is redefining sales practice by enabling reps to roleplay high-stakes calls, objections, and negotiations using AI before they ever speak to a real prospect.
Sai and host Matt Benelli explore why traditional training doesn’t stick, how to coach the iPhone generation, and why AI-driven feedback is the key to scalable performance improvement. From building reps’ confidence to reducing CAC, shortening ramp time, and even coaching managers themselves, this conversation delivers practical insight for CROs and GTM leaders committed to leveling up their teams. If you think having Gong means you’re coaching, think again.
Key Takeaways
1. Coaching is broken, and leaders know it.
Most frontline managers spend less than 5% of their time coaching, and even if they admit it's not enough, despite having tools like Gong or Chorus.
2. Owning tools doesn’t mean using them.
Just because you’ve bought sales tech doesn’t mean your team is getting value from it; usage and enablement are two different things.
3. Reps are practicing on real prospects, and that’s a problem.
Without structured practice environments, reps learn in live selling situations, losing deals and confidence in the process.
4. AI enables real, scalable practice.
Hyperbound uses AI to let reps roleplay discovery, objections, and negotiations with instant feedback, so they improve before going live.
5. Training decay is real 87% is forgotten in a month.
Sai shares how Hyperbound clients are replacing costly SKOs and one-off trainings with ongoing practice that reinforces key skills year-round.
6. Feedback should be immediate, not delayed.
Instead of waiting weeks for one-on-one feedback, reps using AI tools can instantly iterate and refine their performance after each session.
7. AI coaching is objective and data-backed.
AI removes bias by evaluating reps consistently, benchmarking them against top performers, and identifying real improvement areas.
8. Confidence is often the root blocker to performance.
A lack of confidence, not skill, is what holds many reps back from picking up the phone; Hyperbound helps reps build that confidence safely.
9. Managers need coaching too.
Hyperbound doesn’t just coach reps, it also trains managers by simulating coaching conversations and giving feedback on their effectiveness.
10. Culture matters more than tools.
Without leadership buy-in and a true coaching culture, even the best tools won’t lead to behavior change; some orgs just aren’t ready.
