Home / Transitioning From Player to Coach Transitioning From Player to Coach Guest: Jim Ryan What’s the difference between a sales manager and a coach? Managers focus on current state, but coaches focus on future state, helping people reach potential they didn’t realize they had. Jim Ryan, former Denver Broncos player and NFL assistant coach and current speaker, training facilitator, and sales coach at Integrity Solutions, joins the show to share how to shift your mindset from sales manager to coach. We discuss how to make the leap from individual contributor to sales leader, and how to excel once you’re there. Jim shares how to untie mental knots, build confidence, and set “little-picture” goals for big-picture success. Listen Now Amazon iHeartRadio GoodPods More Options Your Host Will Milano Chief Marketing Officer, Integrity Solutions In this Mental Selling episode, you’ll learn: How to overcome negative self-talk and build lasting confidence Why consistent preparation will make or break your success in sales How to shift from a managing mindset to a coaching mindset What to listen for: [01:30] The parallels between sports and sales [05:30] Adapting to the unexpected [07:00] The importance of preparation [10:30] Transitioning from salesperson to sales leader [16:00] Coaching versus managing your team [18:45] Overcoming negative self-talk [20:30] Building confidence with deliberate discomfort [25:30] Setting “little-picture” goals [28:00] Developing a customer-centric mindset [31:30] Creating a receptive coaching environment [36:00] Coaching your people to their potential Join us on this latest episode of Mental Selling to hear Jim and Will discuss what it takes to become the sales leader your team wants and needs in order to thrive. Check out the full episode! Related Resources Jim’s Integrity Solutions blogs Raise your Mental Selling acumen with us by following us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts SoundCloud, Amazon, iHeartRadio, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate our show or leave a comment— we value YOUR feedback! FeedSpot has also included us as one of the top 30 best sales podcasts to follow. Share This Post: Related Episodes When Compliance Meets Culture in Banking with Jack Haworth Guests: Jack Haworth In this Mental Selling episode, you’ll learn: Jump into the conversation: Additional Resources From This Episode: Raise your Mental Selling… EP. 133 May 15, 2026 23:47 Why Emotion Still Wins in Sales with Amara Hunt and Amanda Ervin Guests: Amara Hunt and Amanda Ervin In this Mental Selling episode, you’ll learn: Jump into the conversation: Additional Resources From This Episode: Raise your Mental Selling… EP. 132 May 4, 2026 32:39 Keeping Sales Human in the Age of AI with Amara Hunt and Amanda Ervin Guests: Amara Hunt and Amanda Ervin In this Mental Selling episode, you’ll learn: Jump into the conversation: Additional Resources From This Episode: Raise your Mental Selling… EP. 131 April 9, 2026 18:44 Mastering Sales Leadership and Revenue Strategy with Lindsay Rios Guest: Lindsay Rios In this Mental Selling episode, you’ll learn: Jump into the conversation: Additional Resources From This Episode: Raise your Mental Selling… EP. 130 March 12, 2026 35:36