Case Studies
Case Study 1 · Sales Coaching (Manager → Rep)

Role 1: The Coach

Sales Leader — your job is to coach, not fix

Your Context

You are a Visa Sales Leader responsible for a portfolio of strategic banking clients across CEMEA. One of your account executives has brought you a problem: a high-value deal involving virtual cards has stalled late in the cycle.

Your instinct is to step in. You've seen this before. You know the stakeholders. You could probably unblock this quickly by making a call or telling them exactly what to do.

But you also know the pattern: every time you "fix," your team becomes more dependent — and deals slow down without you.

Your Goal

Coach, don't fix. Use the GROW framework to help your rep think clearly:
  • Goal — Get them to define a specific stakeholder breakthrough
  • Reality — Help them map the real blockers and dynamics
  • Options — Push them to generate multiple paths forward
  • Will — Land on a clear, time-bound commitment

How You Should Operate

Operate at Level 3 listening — not just hearing their frustration, but understanding the underlying deal dynamics.

No advice unless absolutely necessary Ask, don't tell GROW framework
Success looks like The rep owns the next step — not because you solved it, but because they found it themselves.
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AI Co-Pilot: Prep for This Conversation Paste this prompt into ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini before your session
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Use this prompt to think through your rep's situation, sharpen your GROW questions, and anticipate where the conversation might go — before you walk in.

Prompt — Copy & PasteI'm a Sales Leader preparing to coach one of my Account Executives using the GROW framework. I want to think through this conversation before it happens so I show up as a coach, not a fixer. Here's the situation: - My rep is managing a complex deal with a large regional bank involving a virtual card solution. - The deal is stalled late in the cycle. IT has raised integration and security concerns. Procurement is slow. The internal champion is supportive but not influential enough. - My rep is frustrated and wants me to step in — escalate, make calls, or tell them exactly what to do. - My instinct is to fix it. But I know that every time I fix, I create dependency. My goal is to coach, not fix. I want to use the GROW framework: - GOAL: Help them define a specific stakeholder breakthrough (not "close the deal") - REALITY: Help them map the real blockers — what IT actually cares about, who the real decision-makers are - OPTIONS: Push them to generate at least 3 paths forward they haven't fully explored - WILL: Land on one clear, time-bound action they own Please help me prepare by doing the following: 1. Generate 3–5 powerful GROW questions for each stage (Goal, Reality, Options, Will) that I could use in this conversation. 2. Identify the 2–3 moments where I'll be most tempted to give advice — and suggest how to redirect back to inquiry. 3. Anticipate what my rep might say at each stage, and how I should respond with a question rather than a solution. 4. Suggest what a strong "Will" commitment looks like at the end — specific, time-bound, and owned by the rep. 5. Flag any blind spots I might have walking into this conversation as the leader who "knows the answer." I want to leave this prep session with a clear coaching plan — not a script, but a set of questions and a mindset that keeps ownership with my rep.
Case Study 1 · Sales Coaching (Manager → Rep)

Role 2: The Coachee

Account Executive — stuck on a deal that matters

Your Context

You are an Account Executive managing a complex deal with a large regional bank. You've built a strong relationship with the business team, and they are excited about Visa's virtual card solution.

But the deal is now stuck. The IT team has raised concerns about integration and security. Procurement is slowing things down. Your internal champion is supportive — but not strong enough to move others.

You're frustrated. This deal matters for your quarter. You feel like you're doing everything right, but progress has stalled.

What You Want (on the surface)

You've come to your manager because you want help — but what you really want is for them to step in and solve it. Maybe they can escalate. Maybe they can tell you exactly what to say.

What's Actually Going On

  • You don't fully understand what IT actually cares about
  • You haven't mapped all stakeholders clearly
  • You're reacting to objections rather than shaping the conversation

What Good Coaching Will Help You Realize

The problem isn't "the deal" — it's stakeholder alignment. You need a specific breakthrough, not a vague "close the deal." You already have options — you just haven't fully explored them.
Success looks like You leave with a clear next step you own — not a solution handed to you.
Case Study 2 · Coaching an Internal Advocate (Rep → Client Champion)

Role 1: The Coach

Visa Sales Rep — enabling your champion to sell internally

Your Context

You are working on a strategic deal with a financial institution. You have a strong internal contact who believes in Visa's solution — but progress has stalled during internal discussions.

Your instinct might be to jump in — join internal meetings, present directly, or push harder. But you know that real deals don't close because of you — they close because someone inside the organization mobilizes others.

Your Goal

Coach your contact into becoming a true Mobilizer:

  • Help them shift from features → business impact (CFO test)
  • Help them navigate multiple stakeholders — IT, Finance, Procurement, Business
  • Help them co-author the business case, not just deliver yours

How You Should Operate

You are not "selling" in this moment — you are enabling them to sell internally. Ask questions that build their clarity and confidence. Help them anticipate internal pushback. Guide them to own the narrative.
Coaching mindset CFO test Build their confidence
Success looks like They can walk into a meeting and confidently influence others — without you present.
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AI Co-Pilot: Prep for This Conversation Paste this prompt into ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini before your session
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Use this prompt to co-create the champion's narrative, map their internal stakeholders, and build their confidence — before you sit down with them.

Prompt — Copy & PasteI'm a Visa Sales Rep preparing to coach an internal champion at a client bank. My goal is not to sell — it's to help this person become a Mobilizer who can drive the deal forward internally without me in the room. Here's the situation: - My champion works inside the bank and genuinely believes in Visa's virtual card solution. - Internally, the deal is stuck: IT is worried about integration and security risk, Finance wants clear ROI and cost justification, Procurement is slowing the process, and senior stakeholders are not yet aligned. - My champion is stuck in the middle — they support the solution but lack the confidence and clarity to present it to senior leadership. - They're worried about losing credibility, being overruled, or looking wrong if implementation fails. - My instinct is to jump in — join their meetings, present directly, push harder. But I know that's the wrong move. Real deals close when someone inside mobilizes others. My goal is to coach my champion to: 1. Pass the CFO Test — describe the value of virtual cards in 30 seconds, leading with business impact (not features): fraud reduction, cost savings, spend visibility, implementation timeline. 2. Map and navigate their internal stakeholders — IT, Finance, Procurement, Legal, Senior Leadership — with a tailored message for each. 3. Co-author a business case they own and can defend, not one I hand them. 4. Anticipate and handle internal objections with confidence. 5. Walk into their next internal meeting ready to mobilize — without me present. Please help me prepare by doing the following: 1. Draft a 30-second CFO Test pitch for virtual cards that my champion could use — focused on business impact, not features. 2. For each stakeholder group (IT, Finance, Procurement, Legal, Senior Leadership), give me: their likely concern, the key question my champion should ask them, and the one-line message that addresses their priority. 3. Generate 4–5 coaching questions I can ask my champion to help them build their own narrative — questions that build clarity and confidence, not dependency on me. 4. Identify the 2–3 moments in our conversation where I'll be tempted to take over — and suggest how to hand the narrative back to them. 5. Suggest what a strong "next step" looks like for my champion — a specific internal action they own, with a clear timeline. I want to leave this prep session ready to coach, not sell. My champion should leave our conversation owning the narrative — not waiting for me to close the deal for them.
Case Study 2 · Coaching an Internal Advocate (Rep → Client Champion)

Role 2: The Coachee

Client Advocate / Champion — stuck in the middle

Your Context

You work inside a bank and are responsible for evaluating and driving a new payments solution. You believe Visa's virtual card offering could deliver real value — better control, reduced fraud, and improved visibility.

But internally, things are getting complicated.

  • IT is questioning integration and risk
  • Finance is asking for clear ROI and cost justification
  • Procurement is slowing the process
  • Senior stakeholders are not aligned

You feel stuck in the middle. You support the solution — but you're not fully confident presenting it to senior leadership.

What You're Worried About

  • Looking wrong if the implementation fails
  • Losing credibility if challenged and unable to answer
  • Being overruled by stronger voices internally

What You Actually Need

You don't just need information. You need a clear, simple way to explain the value (CFO test), confidence to handle objections, and a way to align stakeholders with different priorities.

The Shift Good Coaching Creates

  • "I like this solution" → "I can confidently make the case internally"
  • "I need Visa to convince them" → "I can mobilize the organization myself"
Success looks like You walk away with a clear narrative you own, a better understanding of stakeholder concerns, and the confidence to lead the conversation internally.