Secrets Of High-Performing Sales Coaches

Coaching in general is a hot topic, but when it comes to sales, it's important to realise that the coaching that sales reps need is very different from the kind of general coaching that's appropriate in other areas of business. Learning how to effectively coach sales reps is an integral part of sales management training, and while some general coaching skills are good to have, there are specific skills that are much more important for effective sales coaching.

Defining and Achieving Goals

Good coaches help their sales people define their own goals; great coaches help their reps create and execute action plans that will allow them to achieve those goals. That includes helping trainees develop habits and behaviours that contribute to and increase their sales success.

Know When to Give Advice, and When to Back Off

In some training circles, the prevailing school of thought is that coaches should avoid giving direct advice, because it's more important that the “coachee” receives general advice and coaching that will enable them to figure things out on their own. But in sales, situations often arise where giving direct advice enables a trainee to make a sale they would have lost otherwise, and in the sales industry there's no room for lost opportunities. A good coach has to know when direct advice is needed and warranted, and when it's better to step back and let their trainee use their own judgement to solve a problem.

Essentially, this is about understanding that sales coaches have two different jobs: one is to provide general support and advice that helps a trainee improve over time, and the second is to provide specific, direct advice when it's needed to help a trainee take advantage of an opportunity. So, sales coaches need to be able to give both immediate and long-term advice, and know when each kind of advice is appropriate.

Inspiration and Motivation

Good sales coaches understand that motivation isn't the same for everyone; people are motivated in different ways by different things, and a great coach is someone who can help each and every rep tap into their own personal source of internal motivation.

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Want A Thriving Business? Try The New Sales Coaching Approach

When it comes to motivating your work force and keeping them fully engaged, there have always been plenty of different choices for managers and trainers. But none of these are truly effective in the long-run, often leading to short-term boosts and nothing more. To really achieve a thriving business, you may need to revisit your approach to sales coaching – and we’d like to discuss that very thing in this article.

External motivation isn’t always the answer

Let's assume that at some point you've had experience of incentives. Many companies use them for lots of different reasons, and the assumption they make is that an external motivator (like money or a prize) will lead to long-term improvements in productivity. But this unfortunately is not the case. Rather these can stifle workers’ creativity and can cause more problems than they solve. The answer is simple: focus instead on internal motivation. This occurs when an employee finds something they really enjoy doing, or they perform a task and satisfy another need within them – such as contributing to a team. In both cases, it's all about satisfying internal needs, and the results are much longer lasting.

The psychological needs of staff

It's clear that the best workers will be those who feel comfortable, happy and valued in their positions. But to nurture this, there are a number of psychological needs that must be fulfilled. Studies have shown that these needs are: competence, relatedness and autonomy. The first, competence, refers to feeling like they have the ability to do their job to the best of their ability. The next, relatedness, refers to staff feeling like they are part of a team. The third, autonomy, ensures staff feel like they can do their job without external motivation.

Need-based leadership

The core of the new sales coaching approach is one that focuses on the three needs we mentioned above. By leading in a way that enables team members to feel competent, related to others, and autonomous in their role, helps staff to maintain peace of mind and confidence. This confidence will lead to increased job satisfaction and, by extension, productivity.

If you’re part of a business that’s striving to thrive, why not try out the new thought-based leadership approach? It might just change the fortunes of your company.