Groundbreaking neuroscience research from Allego challenges assumptions about learning and shows why the future of sales coaching combines AI and human insights

WALTHAM, Mass., Oct. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AI coaching helps sellers remember 50% more than human coaching, but human feedback drives stronger motivation, trust, and emotional well-being, according to new neuroscience research from Allego, Inc., the leader in AI-powered revenue enablement.

The groundbreaking study, conducted in partnership with cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Carmen Simon, challenges conventional wisdom about feedback and reveals why the most effective sales coaching strategy blends AI precision with human empathy. Participants came from a wide range of industries, including financial services, life sciences, manufacturing, and high-tech.

The study also found that:

Sellers expecting human feedback spoke 45% more during simulations, but this extra effort did not improve retention.
Shorter delays in receiving human feedback increased emotional readiness, though not recall.
Younger (including GenZ) and older sellers (including GenX) preferred human coaching for emotional connection, while mid-career professionals (including Millennials) leaned toward AI efficiency.
Female participants reported higher well-being, while male participants demonstrated stronger neural synchrony during simulations.

Researchers reached these conclusions by analyzing how B2B sales professionals responded to coaching feedback. Allego's AI-powered Live Dialog Simulator was used to conduct simulated discovery calls, while biometric tools captured emotional and cognitive reactions to AI and human coaches.

The findings make one thing clear: Sellers don't respond the same way to human and AI feedback. Emotional state, memory, and engagement all shift depending on who--or what--is doing the coaching. For Allego, these results confirm the need for a new model of sales coaching, one that blends AI precision with human empathy.

"AI coaching is not a replacement for human coaches; it's a powerful complement," said Yuchun Lee, CEO and co-founder of Allego. "This research proves that the most effective approach is a hybrid one. AI delivers the scale, structure, and consistency that improve recall, while human coaches bring empathy and encouragement that fuel motivation. Combined, they create a modern coaching culture that drives lasting performance gains."

Building on Lee's call for a hybrid model, Dr. Simon explained why the data shows both comfort and discomfort play essential roles in driving behavior change. She emphasized the importance of balancing comfort with challenge in learning:

"One of the most surprising findings was that participants reported feeling more relaxed when anticipating feedback from a human coach, compared to feedback from AI. Conventional wisdom suggests human feedback creates tension, but we didn't see that. However, comfort alone does not drive growth. Progress often requires productive discomfort--the mind stretches when it feels slightly out of sync, not overly soothed. A practical guideline for organizations is to alternate between comfort (human warmth) and cognitive dissonance (AI precision) to sustain behavior change."

Rachel Ometer, Learning & Development Program Manager at Axon, added:

"Participating in Allego's AI in Coaching Neuroscience study was an incredible experience. I was especially impressed by Dr. Carmen Simon's expertise, which added so much depth to the findings. As someone currently working on my own PhD dissertation, I found it inspiring to learn from Dr. Simon and to see academic research translated into real-world business impact. The results reinforced that AI does not replace human coaching but powerfully complements it, driving stronger retention and impact."

RuthAnn L. Benninghoff, Lead, Readiness and Learning at Cigna Healthcare, who also participated in the study, said:

"Participating in the experiment was eye-opening. I felt at ease knowing my feedback would come from a human coach, which helped me relax and engage. But seeing the overall results--that AI feedback led to stronger memory--really underscored for me the value of combining both approaches: AI for precision and reinforcement, and humans for encouragement and connection."

The findings reinforce that the future of sales coaching is not about choosing between humans or AI. It's about strategically blending both. A hybrid model leverages AI for scale and memory retention, while human coaches provide the motivation and trust that sellers need to thrive.

The full report, AI vs. Human Coaching: What Neuroscience Reveals About Learning, is available now at allego.com.

About Allego:
Allego, Inc. is the first and only Revenue Enablement Platform to lead across digital selling, content management, learning, and coaching. It delivers the simplicity of an all-in-one solution without sacrificing the depth each use case demands. For over five years, Allego has led the market in innovation and now offers practical, agentic AI that drives real-world results.

This innovation-led approach delivers measurable business impact, including up to 50% reduction in software spend, 50% shorter sales cycles, and 45% higher win rates. That's why Allego is the trusted choice for one quarter of Dow Jones Industrial Average companies, five of the 15 largest U.S. banks, four of the eight largest insurance providers, four of the five largest global medical device companies, six of the 10 largest wealth management firms, all five of the largest asset management companies, and many other global enterprises.

Discover how Allego can turn your sales enablement strategy into a growth-driving powerhouse at allego.com.

Media Contact:
Allego, Inc.
Michelle Davidson
mdavidson@allego.com

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