> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.fieldko.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Coach Your Field Team > Run ride-alongs, use visit data in one-to-ones, set objectives, recognize good execution, and build the data habits that make coaching fair. Standards and reports only change the shelf when managers turn them into better habits, one rep at a time. Coaching connects what you see in the data to what reps do in the store. This page is for managers who coach reps, and for admins who set up the objectives and reports managers coach from. ## Why It Matters Store execution is where plans are won or lost. Research in California Management Review found that execution problems at the store, such as inaccurate inventory records, can cut a retailer's profits by more than 10%.[1](#source-1) Better execution comes from people in the field, and managers are the ones who shape how those people work. Execution that nobody checks is usually worse than anyone believes. POPAI UK and Ireland, the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland arm of Point of Purchase Advertising International (POPAI), found that 79% of retailers assume displays are being executed, while full compliance can be as low as 29%.[2](#source-2) Bain's Perfect Store approach gives managers tools to set store-level targets, monitor progress, and drive continuous improvement, instead of treating execution as a one-time rollout.[3](#source-3) ## Best Practice ### Ride Along With a Purpose A ride-along is the best way to see how a rep really works a store. Make each one count: * **Pick a focus before you go.** Choose one or two behaviors from the rep's data, such as short visits, a low promotion compliance score, or many tasks marked as not done. * **Observe first.** Let the rep run the visit the way they normally would. Use the same call steps your team uses for every visit, so you're checking against a known standard. * **Debrief right after the call.** Ask what went well and what they'd change, while the visit is fresh. * **Agree on one or two changes.** More than that rarely sticks. * **Follow up with data.** Check the agreed behavior in the reports before the next ride-along. ### Bring Data to Every One-to-One Use the same short set of facts in every one-to-one, so reps know what to expect: * **Plan versus actual.** Visits planned and completed, and the reasons for missed visits. * **Objectives.** Progress against targets for the call cycle. * **Quality of execution.** Compliance results and a few photos from recent visits. * **Time.** Time in store against plan, and time worked across the day. Start with what the data shows, then ask the rep to explain it. A low number has a reason, and the rep often knows it before you do. ### Set Clear Objectives and Targets Give each rep a small number of objectives tied to the store gaps that matter most, such as promotion checks completed or core range audits done in the cycle. Set targets per rep and per period, make them visible to the rep, and review progress weekly. Targets should reflect each territory, not only a national number. ### Recognize Good Execution Recognition works best when it's specific. Point to the visit, the photo, or the store result, and say what made it good. Share strong examples with the team: a well-built display photo teaches more than a written standard. Compare reps against their own targets and territory, not raw volume, so a rep with smaller stores can still be recognized for strong work. ### Build Data Quality Habits Coaching is only fair when the data is complete. Agree on these habits with every rep: * **Sync every day.** At the start of the day, after visits when there's a good connection, and at the end of the day. * **Check in at the store.** Check in on arrival, not from the car park down the road or after the visit. * **Close every task.** Complete each task, or record why it couldn't be done. A task left open looks the same as work that was never attempted. * **Use the same definitions.** Train everyone on what counts as a facing, an out-of-stock, or a compliant display, so results are comparable between reps. ## How FieldKo Helps | Practice | In FieldKo | Learn How | | - | - | - | | Set objectives and targets | Mark task types **Is Objective**, then enter targets per rep and call cycle on the **Objectives** tab. Reps see their targets on **My Objectives**. | [Set Objectives and Targets](https://support.fieldko.com/managers/monitor-your-team.md#set-objectives-and-targets) | | Review how each visit went | Visit records show planned and actual times, check-in and check-out locations, tasks, notes, and **Check In Compliance Reason**. | [Review Visit Records](https://support.fieldko.com/managers/monitor-your-team.md#review-visit-records) | | See why tasks weren't done | Reps tap **Can't Do** and choose a reason, which shows as **Reason For Incompletion**. | [Record a Task You Can't Do](https://support.fieldko.com/visits/visit-details.md#record-a-task-you-cant-do) | | Review time worked | Each **Attendance** record shows login and logout, **Total Time Logged On**, and **Actual Time Worked**. | [Attendance](https://support.fieldko.com/managers/monitor-your-team.md#attendance) | | See where reps are | The **Map** tab shows a rep's visits, current location, and last check-in location for a week. | [See Where Your Reps Are](https://support.fieldko.com/managers/monitor-your-team.md#see-where-your-reps-are) | | Get coaching reports on a schedule | Subscribe to reports, or add conditions so you're emailed only when something needs attention. | [Get Alerts with Conditions](https://support.fieldko.com/managers/platform/share-and-schedule.md#get-alerts-with-conditions) | | Check that reps are syncing | The **Sync Details** tab shows each rep's recent syncs. | [Check Sync Activity](https://support.fieldko.com/managers/monitor-your-team.md#check-sync-activity) | For the reports themselves, use the [Call Compliance and Strike Rate](https://support.fieldko.com/managers/platform/recipes/call-compliance.md) and [Time in Store and Attendance](https://support.fieldko.com/managers/platform/recipes/time-in-store.md) recipes. > [!TIP] > > After a ride-along, leave the agreed follow-up on the store's next visit with **Next Visit To Do's**, so the rep sees it the next time they're there. See [Next Visit To Do's](https://support.fieldko.com/visits/notes-and-follow-ups.md#next-visit-to-dos). ## Common Pitfalls * **Coaching only from reports.** Numbers show where to look. A ride-along shows why. * **Too many targets.** Reps focus on a few things at a time. Keep objectives to the handful that move the shelf. * **Activity without outcomes.** Visit counts alone reward busy days. Pair them with compliance and availability results. * **Ignoring incomplete data.** If a rep rarely syncs or leaves tasks open, fix the habit before you judge the results. ## See Also * [Run a Great Store Visit](https://support.fieldko.com/retail-execution/store-visit.md) * [Measure What Matters](https://support.fieldko.com/retail-execution/measure.md) * [Capture Photo Evidence That Holds Up](https://support.fieldko.com/retail-execution/photo-evidence.md) * [Track Your Team's Performance](https://support.fieldko.com/managers/monitor-your-team.md) * [Sync Your Data](https://support.fieldko.com/sync/sync-screen.md#recommended-sync-routine) ## Sources 1. Raman, DeHoratius, and Ton, "Execution: The Missing Link in Retail Operations," California Management Review, 2001. [Read the article](https://cmr.berkeley.edu/2001/05/43-3-execution-the-missing-link-in-retail-operations/) 2. POPAI UK and Ireland, "In-Store Insights, Issue 24: Compliance Report," 2015. [Read the report](https://popai.co.uk/Uploaded/Documents/In-Store-Insights/Issue%2024/CompReport24.pdf) 3. Bain and Company, "How Advanced Analytics Is Transforming Sales Execution," accessed 2026. [Read the article](https://www.bain.com/how-we-help/how-advanced-analytics-is-transforming-sales-execution/) This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.