Tag Archives: Sales coaching

Sales Coaching

Why Sales Coaching Really Matters

You may recall that it was recently written about an international study which reported that if Sales Managers were more frequently and better trained and coached, their sales teams achieved higher performance and results. In no other type of sales training was a more positive correlation found between frequency of training and sales performance. This article is dedicated to the importance of sales coaching and what you need to do to be an effective sales coach.

Despite popular opinion, the sales profession is very skillful with many technical and interpersonal skills that need to be continuously honed and developed. Despite this, most sales people are given no formal training or coaching rather they are often left to work out for themselves how to be effective at sales.

Even if they are able to attend sales training, most sales people do not realise their full potential because nothing was done post the training session to get people adapting their behaviours, skills and performance to the new standards.

Why sales coaching matters

  • Without systematic, on-the-job coaching post a sales training program 87% of skills that were covered in the sales training program are lost within 30 days
  • With systematic, on-the-job coaching post a sales training program the return on the sales training program is four fold.

Lesson: Sales training without coaching is a cost liability rather than an investment. 

Is sales coaching just linked to sales training?

In a word, no. Whether or not coaching follows a formal training program, it is recommended that at least 40-60% of a sales manager’s job should be dedicated to coaching their sales people.

Yet, sales coaching still remains an area that is poorly executed and often ignored.

What is coaching?

Coaching is a process which allows for an individual to strive for excellence in any endeavour through personal insight and purposeful action. At a broad level, the process involves three key elements:

  • Feedback: without feedback a person is unaware of the opportunity for ‘change’
  • Reflection: relates to what a person thinks about the feedback received; as well as the range of actions they can undertake as a result of receiving the feedback
  • Purposeful action: those activities the person may undertake and either adopt the provided feedback or alternatively explain why they will not address the feedback provided.

Coaching usually focuses on two key areas of development to achieve excellence: skills and performance. Excellence in performance is knowing the right processes to apply in the right situation, coupled with the personal insight to know how to apply them wisely.

So, how do we get the best out of our sales coaches in order to be our best?

  1. Train your sales managers to be effective sales coaches
  2. Supply them with proven tools and frameworks to coach successfully
  3. Provide ongoing coaching to your sales managers to be better sales coaches (usually external coaching support works well here as it provides an agenda free focus on coaching only)
  4. Make sales coaching a necessary part of the sales manager’s job performance criteria
  5. Encourage a coaching culture in your business across all levels.

 

What do you need in your sales coaching tool box?

  • A coaching framework that guides you through the various coaching steps – this ensures that people are aware coaching is taking place
  • The ability to analyse or assess the development needs of an individual or team
  • Coaching communication tools and approaches that help you understand, communicate, and connect with the person you are coaching
  • Knowledge about the different types of coaching approaches you can use with people i.e. skills, performance, remedial, strategic, or transformational coaching
  • Ideally a sales competency based model and sales process framework that reflects the sales skills, behaviours, and attitudes you need to coach your sales people to.
  • Skillful and active communication skills
  • A positive, trust based, environment
  • Clear purpose and intent about what you are trying to achieve
  • Consistency

Coaching can happen in many ways. 

Here are some examples:

 

  • Joint sales visits: attending a client sales meeting with a salesperson – Set up the pre, during and post stages of your coaching session. 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: 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

4 important points to remember:

  1. There are a variety of coaching tools out there, however avoid the one-size-fits-all approach i.e. trying to stretch one tool to fit all situations. You need a blend of tools in your coaching tool box 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 individuals, team and organisation. It not only makes your sales people perform better, you can also become a better manager as a result.

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Sales Coaching

Sales Training and Coaching

Sales coaching is an art in itself and when you know what and how do it and what to search for in people, you are eighty% complete within the task. Will you ask the correct queries to understand how they can perform during a sales situation and is it a true indicator of how they will be in the field of selling?

I’m certain you have heard of the eighty/twenty rule and in sales coaching it’s the rule for sure. If you’re not acquainted with the 80/twenty rule then what this implies is eighty% of the income is accomplished from 20% of the sales force and twenty% of the income is accomplished from eighty% of the sales force. It has not changed for years and if you know this going in then you’ll be able to modify you hiring practices accordingly.

How will you recognize if the salesperson you are talking to will actually perform for your company? Will you recognize if the sales training is worth the investment and are you hiring one of the 80% salespeople or a big shot? What has been the performance in their past job and have they received correct sales training. Why are they looking to change, has there been a variation in their life such as being married or has there been an addition to their family. If there’s a reason for the variation, then you can be nearly certain that they’re motivated and want to find success and maybe are willing to do what it takes to induct themselves into that twenty% club.

If a salesperson has had recent changes in their lives, then you’ll be able to be confident that their motivation for wanting to improve themselves is sincere. Your investment for sales training would be almost a sure factor that they can work tougher and be motivated to try to do their best for your company. The probability of them becoming one of the twenty% salespeople is greatly increased.

Another one amongst my questions for potential salespeople is to insist that they sale me my product and this could tell you if you’ve got a natural salesperson or maybe one that needs some polished training. If they begin by making an attempt to convince me how great the product is, then I know that they are in the eighty% and therefore would need some training. If that start by attempting to qualify me for the acquisition then you and I both understand we have one among the 20% salespeople and that is a sensible indicator that they have the potential to be a superstar.

Sales coaching for either of the sorts of salespeople wants to be targeted on information of product and aiding potential customers make sensible choices so you and the customer are in a wining situation. Specialize in the correct knowledge of consumers and product will bring consistent results for your company and the correct kind of system can insure the salespeople plus the company success.

Sales coaching and sales systems are how success stories are written and you’ve got the ability to begin your company’s success story. Potential salespeople want to be hired on capabilities and either you’re going to coach them to be sensible salespeople or you’ve got that superstar that must be place in that success state of affairs, you make the call, however look at their value and potential and see where they belong.

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Sales Coaching

Sales Coaching – How to Find Clients

What do you do when you are just starting a business and need your first client? What if your existing clients have closed their purse strings? What if you just want to grow your business and the only way to do that is to get more buyers? In all three instances you have to find a way to get clients willing to pay for your services.

There are lots of ways to get new clients. Before you set out to do any of those things you need to prepare to effectively get more new clients. That means the first step to finding new clients for your business is to prepare your proposition for business.

When it comes to a proposition many people mistakenly think of a pitch for your services as your proposition. Unfortunately, when you approach a potential new client that way you position yourself as an ordinary sales person. Once you put yourself in that slot it spells BIG trouble for your efforts to get more clients and more sales.

As soon as you put yourself in the ordinary sales person slot you trigger the defenses of your potential new client. Once that potential client becomes defensive they get extremely skeptical and they don’t trust you. If they don’t trust you they will never hire you as their service provider.

No one hires a service provider they don’t trust. Trust is mandatory in any service business. Once you put your trustworthiness under question it’s a tall order to overcome trust issues.

The other problem with centering your proposition on your services is you immediately trigger objections.

That’s why you hear things like, “I already have a (insert whatever you do)”.

That’s why your certifications or level of experience come into question.

That’s exactly why these potential new clients think of you as an expense they can live without.

When you develop your proposition think about what the people who buy your services are looking to get, solve, or overcome. Put yourself in their shoes and look at it from their perspective. Imagine if a software sales rep called you and asked if you’d like to buy their CRM program.

What would you say? No.

Now imagine if that same sales rep called and asked if you would be interested in some ideas to close more sales. I’ll bet you’d say “yes”.

The first proposition was about a thing. The second proposition was about what the potential new client wants the thing only comes into play if they have a need waiting to get filled.

How much could you increase your sales starting now?

Get “The Blueprint for Increased Sales” eBook and audio here (FREE)…

[http://increasesalescoach.com/blueprint-increased-sales.html]

Increase Sales Coach Cheryl A. Clausen helps business owners, entrepreneurs, and SOHO’s in service industries get highly qualified prospects contacting you – giving you an unfair advantage.

[http://increasesalescoach.com/blog]

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Sales Coaching

What Do Basketball Stars Have in Common With Your Sales Force?

Okay, you ask, what do basketball stars have in common with my sales force? The answer is simple. Both need coaching. Yes, an important element in the performance of a basketball superstar is good coaching. Guess what, likewise an all-important element in the performance of a sales superstar is good coaching.

The reason for needing a coach is fundamental. When one is caught up in the heat of the game it is impossible to see all that is going on around. The coach has a different stake in winning and sees a larger picture. The coach can see things that are hidden from the view of the player as he moves up and down the court. The coach can tell when it is beneficial to pass the ball so that a score can be made. So, you get it, you see the analogy.

What are the obstacles that prevent a coach and a basketball superstar from benefiting from the relationship they have with each other? Well, one of the biggest obstacles is ego. Who’s you ask? The answer is both. The ego of the coach and the ego of the superstar stand in the way of making the relationship beneficial. In fact, there are many instances where a perfectly good superstar is traded and the team suffers loss because of the conflict of egos between the player and the coach. How many thousands of companies have traded sales superstars for the same reason?

Five practical activities for building good relationships between coaches and salespeople are as follows:

 

  1. Affirm and acknowledge the need for coaching often
  2. Reassure the salesperson that coaching is not a criticism of skills but rather is a method for making the very skilful even better
  3. Affirm and acknolwedge the skill level that is already developed in the sales person.
  4. Carry on continual dialogue concerning the reason for coaching
  5. Save teasing and joking for other areas of the work place. Never belittle or embarrass the salesperson. Be sensitive to the ego of the salesperson.

 

It is a natural human tendency to get complacent. Familiarity with the job and the repetition of tasks and approaches over and over, tend to bring a person to a place of being mediocre or run of the mill. This is where affirming the need for coaching is critical. When a sales staff is accustomed to the coaching aspect of ongoing training and preparation, there is room made for real growth and the sales person can remain vital. The sales person must have internalized the idea, that no one gets to the point of knowing, past which, there is no additional learning. It has been said, “the enemy of learning is knowing.”

Being sensitive to the salespersons ego is paramount to a successful coaching relationship. This is why sales managers are not necessarily good candidates for sales coaches. The sales manager is in the position of authority and ultimately is responsible for discipline action all the way through termination of the salesperson. This is seen as a conflict of interest by the salesperson and stands in the way of allowing the sales manager to truly fulfill the role of coach. The coach must reassure the salesperson often that he/she believes in his/her worth as a sales professional. This opens the door to conversation that can focus on improving the selling skills, delivery and methods of the salesperson. The salesperson is much more open to accept coaching input if he/she realizes that they are valued by the coach. The best way to build this rapport is to concentrate on catching the salesperson doing something that is praiseworthy. Everyone likes to know that they are appreciated and recognized for their efforts. This step is an important part of coaching. This affirms their value as a salesperson and equips them with the ability to take correction from the coach.

Speak often about the need for ongoing coaching; Dialogue about the ways that coaching is improving production. Once the sales superstar can identify the benefit of coaching in his/her commission checks and added recognition, coaching will be an accepted part of their selling regimen. Coaching is especially profitable when the sales cycle is extended. The coach can help with strategizing in all aspects of communication with the prospective client. Remind the sales people that focus is an important factor and a good coach helps focus efforts with a closing sale in mind.

There is an age-old cliché that states, “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” This is never truer than in the case of working with sales superstars. Embarrassment and teasing is a poor motivator. Sometimes it is easier to use this method than the tried and true method of having difficult discussions in a forthright manner. This is the job of the sales manager and the coach. The coach’s honest communication should be given in a non-threatening way with the purpose of changing unproductive behavior. It should be given in private so that the sales person is not put on the spot. The sales manager can save the tough dialogue for the disciplinary encounters that can be handled no other way. This is always after the individual has refused to be coached.

Winning teams are teams that have great superstars and great coaches. When they work together for a common goal they become unstoppable.

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Sales Coaching

How Business Coaching Can Help to Increase Sales

For small to medium businesses owners, it is necessary to wear many hats. Many find it an almost overwhelming task to handle the responsibilities of sales, marketing, accounting, management… and run their business, too. All too often, the need to increase sales takes a back seat as so many other areas of the business need attention. When a business owner finds himself in this position, it is time to call in a professional Business Coach. A Business Coach is just like any other type of coach. His/ Her responsibility is to guide, advise and support business owners and managers to insure the overall effectiveness and profitability of a company.

Business coaching provides many services to help the small to medium sized company owner. One of the greatest benefits to hiring a business coach is the guidance needed to increase sales. A coach gives the business entrepreneur an opportunity to work one- on – one with a skilled professional who is adapt and capable of finding solutions to increase profits and drive sales. Coaches are motivating, supportive, confidence- building leaders who have the ability to bring out the best in a business owner by encouraging and empowering those who may have lost their edge or are feeling the pressures of business ownership.

Many companies enlist the services of a Business Coach to train employees in a group setting or in seminars that are designed to develop, teach and groom staff in the art of effective salesmanship. Salespeople generally leave these meetings with more confidence, increased enthusiasm and the knowledge and skills necessary to generate more profits.

Company management and coach can brainstorm for ideas that will increase brand recognition. Having the public familiar with your company and its products and services is a major step to increasing revenues. Business coaching guides and assists in taking an in depth view of your complete sales process and together, you will be able to pinpoint ways to improve your marketing techniques and methods to meet and achieve your goals.

Business coaches are well skilled in identifying market segments, trends, and effective ways to market your business that can lead to increased sales. Together, you can identify target markets and ways to initiate creative marketing techniques to capture more of the market share and produce results.

Hiring a Business Coach is fast becoming a viable solution for companies that are having problems in the sales department. Even those companies that are reaching their sales goals use coaches to further enhance and improve their operations. Working with a good, knowledgeable Business Coach can well be worth your time, money and effort when you begin to realize to increased sales that his expertise can bring to you business.

Business coaching helps you to identify where and how sales can be increased.

Wendy works with business owners to successfully explore untapped opportunities for increased sales using business coaching

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