Not every company has a rock-solid system for giving and receiving feedback. There are lots of reasons this can fall behind. You might be focused purely on sales and not interested in making time for it. Your enablement team might be stretched thin. Maybe your manager doesn’t always make time. Or maybe the “feedback culture” is just not really a culture yet.
But here’s the thing: as a salesperson, you don’t have to wait for someone else to create that process. You can take control of it. Doing so can sharpen your performance, strengthen your relationships, and help your team get better, faster.
If There’s No Feedback Process? Build One Yourself.
Start small and be consistent. Here are some simple, tactical ways to kick off your own mini feedback loop:
- Add a Feedback Question to Your Follow-Ups: After every big call or presentation, message your manager or a peer:
“Hey, what’s one thing I did well and one thing I could do better on that call?” - Book a Monthly “Carefrontation Coffee”: Set 20 minutes with a peer you trust to give and receive feedback openly. Treat it like skill practice.
- Start a Shared Feedback Doc: Create a simple Google Doc where you track key feedback moments and action steps. Share it with your manager to show initiative.
- Ask for a Debrief Ritual: After a pitch, customer call, or demo, say:
“Can we take 3 minutes to debrief—what worked, what didn’t?”
Don’t wait for a formal process; model the one you want.
If There Is a Process? Draft Into It With Intention.
Even if your company has a feedback framework, it may not be consistently used. You can still bring it to life by leaning in:
- Use Company Language: If your org talks about “Growth Mindset” or “Radical Candor” (or Carefrontation, for that matter), include those phrases when asking for or offering feedback. That helps normalize the practice.
- Volunteer in Team Retros: Step up and be the first to reflect in a retro or post-mortem. Show that it’s okay to be candid, and invite others in:
“I realized I talked too fast during the pitch. What else could I improve?” - In 1:1s, Come With Questions: Instead of waiting for feedback, ask specific questions like:
“How do you think I handled that objection in the last deal?” or “Where do you see an opportunity for me to level up?”
The truth is: owning your feedback loop makes you better, faster. Whether you're building it from scratch or plugging into what’s already there, your career benefits when you take responsibility for growth.
Are you already doing something like this? Or thinking about trying it out?
