Why sales coaching really matters

Coaching can happen in many ways

Here are some examples:

• Joint sales visits: attending a client sales meeting with a salesperson

o Set up the pre, during and post stages of your coaching session
o Decide on what role you will take as a coach: observer, joint call participation, or role model. You need to decide on which role you will play before you enter the meeting so as not to confuse the salesperson or the client/prospect.

• One-on-one skills review and action plan

o Ideally you would use a competency based model and framework to coach.

• Role playing sales activities such as prospecting, client calls, pitch presentations and so on.
• Team coaching sessions

Four important points to remember:

1. There are a variety of coaching tools out there, however avoid the one-size-fits-all approach, ie. trying to stretch one tool to fit all situations. You need a blend of tools in your coaching toolbox to be able to adapt to a variety of situations such as personal styles, needs, etc.

2. You are not a ‘life coach’ or counsellor either. This is a very dubious and potentially dangerous area to get into and should be left to qualified, skilled professionals who work specifically in this space.

3. Make sure you make time to coach and let the person you are coaching know that it is a coaching session and nothing else.

4. Many of the case studies at the recent OSF2009 conference indicated that a blend of competent internal sales coaching by sales managers supported by external experts in sales coaching was very advantageous to their sales teams’ performance and productivity.

While many sales managers do not have the framework or tools in place to coach with purpose, skillful coaching can be incredibly rewarding and provide huge benefits for the team and organisation. It not only makes your sales people perform better, you can also become a better manager as a result.

Feedback from some sales managers we have worked with who have learned and applied skillful coaching has been very positive.

“It’s really been the template I’ve structured my sales agenda around with my people. It’s provided a practical approach that’s behavioural based and through the coaching follow up sessions really help embed sustained change and clear direction as to how we achieve goals through prospecting existing or new to business opportunities.”

“How have I changed? An interesting question. I think I’ve become a better coach, and I enjoy it much more – seeing sales people get great responses from clients when they use your sales principles is a big buzz for all of us. I’m a better coach because I’m more focused on what I’m looking for, and concentrate on sales people’s strengths as the basis to start (in the past I was too critical and less supportive). I believe more now that I can help sales people change (and I have also), and it’s helped me to more clearly identify which areas sales people need help with. I can also better express my own successes as a sales person in my past, as a reference and example of the practices sales people should use – it’s easier to talk specific examples and situations and then relate them to your principles.”

Remember, a culture of coaching is really a continuous improvement strategy.

Remember, everybody lives by selling something.

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Sue Barrett is a Thought Leader on 21st century sales training, sales coaching, sales leadership, sales capability and sales culture. She practices as a coach, advisor, speaker, facilitator, consultant and writer and works across all market segments with her skilful team at BARRETT.  They help people from many different careers become aware of their sales capabilities and enable them to take the steps to becoming effective, and productive when it comes to selling, sales coaching or sales leadership. Sue and her team are your first and best reference when it comes to forging out a successful career as a competent sales professional and leader . If you have an idea, capability, product, service or opportunity that can benefit another and make their life better in some way then Sue says you need to be able to sell – ethically, honourably, and effectively.  To hone your sales skills or learn how to sell go to www.barrett.com.au.