More than ever, sales teams are struggling with unqualified leads, missed sales goals and lost opportunities. And increasingly, company and sales leaders are turning to coaching as a solution.

Why not? Executive and personal-effectiveness coaching have historically yielded great results. According to the International Coach Federation, the average company can expect a return of seven times the initial investment in coaching. Shouldn’t the same be expected from sales coaching?

The sales coaches who get it right play five specific roles:

Define: Sales coaches help salespeople define goals and strategies that will tap into their purpose and maximize sales energy, focus and engagement. When a sales coach is able to pinpoint a seller’s motivation, the coachee becomes dedicated to action plans, perseveres in the face of obstacles and takes ownership of achieving goals.

Execute: Sales coaches help salespeople develop habits that will enable them to reach their goals, spend time efficiently and maintain current, written and public action plans. A salesperson who knows their behavior is under observation is more likely to stay on task, and drawing connections between actions and goals through focused action plans defines what salespeople will and won’t do—providing insight into how to use time most effectively in order to achieve the best results.

Advise: Sales coaches provide guidance, asking exploratory questions that enable salespeople to find their own answers. But they also know when to offer direct advice about specific opportunities.

The trick is delivering the advice the right way: Depending on the salesperson’s level of expertise, a coach must determine whether to be more directive (“do this”) or facilitative (“let’s work out next steps together”). The former works best with a less experienced salesperson; the latter with a more experienced one.

Develop: When coaches help salespeople understand the current state of their capabilities and where they would be if they reached their potential, developmental gaps often become obvious. In these cases, coaches can recommend additional training and help build development plans.

Motivate: Sales coaches understand the underlying motivators of each individual seller and take action to maximize them. People are motivated by multiple factors. It’s the sales coach’s job to determine what that is from seller to seller. And with motivation support from a good coach, a salesperson is able to sustain high levels of energy and action over longer periods of time.

Mike Schultz is president of RAIN Group, a sales consultancy in Framingham, Massachusetts.