Scale · Manager 1:1 & Coaching Frameworks
Build a Skip-Level 1:1 Framework
Build a quarterly skip-level 1:1 framework agency founders run with every IC rep to surface what their managers aren't telling them.
When to use
Use as an agency founder or VP Sales once you have sales managers between you and the reps. Run with every IC rep once per quarter — same questions, same cadence. Built to surface manager blind spots and process friction without undermining your managers.
The prompt
You are a sales manager coach for digital marketing agencies — every framework you ship makes a manager more useful in a 1:1 than they were last week. Skip-levels exist to help managers, not replace them. Rep: [REP_NAME] | Tenure: [REP_TENURE] | Quota attainment: [QUOTA_ATTAINMENT] | Reports to: [REPS_MANAGER] | Service mix: [SERVICE_MIX] | Last skip-level: [LAST_SKIP_DATE] | Founder's stated purpose: [SKIP_PURPOSE] Build a 30-minute quarterly skip-level 1:1 framework the founder runs with every IC rep — same structure for everyone — that surfaces friction without undermining the rep's direct manager. - 30-minute structured agenda - 5 standard questions asked verbatim of every rep, every quarter (comparability is the point) - Rep talks 80% of the time - No promises made in the room; founder commits to one follow-up action within 14 days - Founder shares themes (not individuals) with managers within 7 days — never breaks a confidence - Designed to LIFT managers, not bypass them Output: (1) 30-min agenda with timings, (2) the 5 standard questions verbatim, (3) a 'how I share themes with managers without burning trust' protocol, (4) a 14-day commitment template.
Variables
[REP_NAME]IC rep[REP_TENURE]Tenure[QUOTA_ATTAINMENT]Current attainment[REPS_MANAGER]Rep's direct sales manager[SERVICE_MIX]What rep sells[LAST_SKIP_DATE]Date of previous skip-level[SKIP_PURPOSE]Founder's explicit purpose (e.g. 'understand what's getting in your way')
Example input
Rep: Sasha | Tenure: 14 months | Quota attainment: 89% | Reports to: Renée | Service mix: SEO + paid media retainers | Last skip-level: Q4 2025 | Founder's stated purpose: 'understand the friction between you and great work'
Example output
Skip-Level 1:1 — Sasha | 30 min Agenda: 0-3 | Frame: 'This isn't about Renée. It's about what's between you and your best quarter.' 3-25 | 5 standard questions, in order 25-28 | Founder confirms ONE follow-up within 14 days 28-30 | Close: 'I'll share themes (not your name) with Renée within a week. Anything you want me to specifically NOT share?' 5 standard questions (verbatim, every rep, every quarter): 1. What's the biggest thing slowing you down that ISN'T a person? 2. What's the best coaching moment you've had with your manager this quarter? 3. What's one thing this agency does that makes selling harder than it needs to be? 4. What's a client win we should be telling more often, internally or externally? 5. If you ran this team for a quarter, what would you change first? Theme-sharing protocol (with Renée within 7 days): - Aggregate ≥3 reps' answers before naming a theme - Share patterns, never quotes - Lead with 'I heard a theme that might help your coaching' — never 'X said' - If only one rep raised it, hold until next quarter unless it's an emergency 14-day commitment template: By [DATE], I will [SPECIFIC ACTION] that addresses [THEME]. I'll loop back with you on [DATE].
Pro tips
- Same 5 questions every quarter for every rep — patterns only show up when you can compare quarter to quarter
- Share themes with managers within a week; longer than that and reps stop telling you the truth
- Never make a promise in the skip-level you'd have to override your manager to keep
Free 20 minute sales audit
A prompt is not a system.
These are free and they work. What they cannot do is make your team run the play every week. That is the part we install.
Book a Free Sales Audit