Sales Coaching

As sales managers, we are pivotal in helping people perform to their potential and continue to improve. We use many management tools to accomplish this, and Sales Coaching is where things get personal. Sales coaching is about personal improvement and occurs in weekly sales team meetings, impromptu conversations, and monthly one-on-ones. It can also happen over the phone, via video, text, and email.

What is Sales Coaching?

Sales coaching is a trusting relationship between the fractional sales manager and the salesperson. They must trust us, and that’s why we work to earn it. When trust is established, we help salespeople find beliefs, skills, attitudes, activities, and conversations to move them forward in their sales careers. Coaching is best when essential goals are agreed upon, so we use an Individual Sales Plan in our monthly one-on-one coaching conversations. Coaching sales is not just about telling a salesperson what to say or how many calls to make; it’s about them choosing what to say and how many calls to make based on the goals they want to attain. We want to empower and have a lasting impact on our teams so they are not dependent on us. One of our clients said it best. 

“What I learned to appreciate was how my sales coach presented his ideas and practices for me to choose to implement. I could say he challenges me, but what he really does is help me challenge myself. I view my first year in management as going very well and believe my Sales Manager Now coach’s guidance was an important ingredient of that success.”  Arie Korver, CEO WeidnerCA

Arie and I first met when he was in sales, and I was brought in to provide sales coaching. He’ll tell you he was not thrilled with an outsider guiding him and the team. Trust was earned, and when it was time for him to become the sales manager, he asked if I’d be his sales coach. Then again, as he prepared to become CEO, he asked for executive coaching. He now has us coach his leadership team members. Arie wants his people to be their best.

How is sales coaching different from consulting? Therapy?

When we provide consultation, we present answers and solutions to you or a salesperson. A sales coach teaches and shares expertise where necessary but is more likely to draw answers from salespeople. Most importantly, we don’t leave; we are their manager and help the salespeople implement new actions, measure progress, and accomplish their goals. 

A therapist delves deeply into the past and works on deeper feelings and “issues.” A coach focuses on the future a salesperson wants to create and then helps them take all the necessary actions to realize that future. 

Is sales training sales coaching?

In our sales coach role, we leverage sales training as a tool to develop new habits and goals we can support them on. Sometimes, we are the trainers, and other times, we bring in different people and resources to learn from. One of our favorite tools is a book study. We let the book be the absent teacher and focus on facilitating team learning and then coaching them to commit to what they are learning. We then provide accountability in future sales meetings by checking implementation and progress. Creating new practices and habits takes time, and sales coaching can provide support from which a desired new habit will benefit. 

The Sales Coaching Processes

Assessment – When we start with a new team, they all take an assessment where we begin to understand their thinking and behavioral tendencies as well as how they measure against sales practices that include:

• Prospecting
• Initiating a Contact
• Building and Maintaining a Relationship
• Closing a Sales
• Self-Starting
• Resourcefulness
• Coachability
• Working with a Team

We also have their past sales results, and from there, we have a baseline from which to move into their Individual Sales Plan and set goals.

Goal Setting – Based on the assessment and company-assigned goals, an individual sales plan is developed that includes strategies, KPIs, and improvement plans. 

Interviewing – This is when we ask questions to help someone understand the situations or reasons for certain actions or behaviors.  This is also used to help salespeople discover new perspectives on situations and choose new behaviors, beliefs, or processes.

Shadowing—Shadowing is used to watch how someone interacts with others. It is not always used, but if the right environment allows, it will let us provide close to real-time feedback on actions and behaviors. Today, we might listen in on calls or recordings, review Zoom transcripts, or join in when we visit if an appointment is scheduled. 

Real-time coaching – This is when, during a one-on-one conversation or sales team meeting, we stop someone in the middle of the interaction to offer our experience or perspective and ask a question that should help the salesperson choose between old habits and new actions. 

Debriefing—A dialogue regarding a specific process, action, or interaction related to your coaching goal. It is also done after particular action items are determined to understand the outcome.

Education—If some specific skills or approaches will help you achieve your goal, we might designate time for education and develop action plans based on the new information.

Between session calls and email—We are available via phone or email between scheduled meetings to answer urgent questions or discuss what transpired. 

Aren’t all Sales Managers Sales Coaches?

No, they are not. Sales Management is primarily focused on order by setting clear expectations, developing reports and dashboards to provide accountability and data to coach, conducting effective meetings, and communicating in a manner that is clear and understood by all. You don’t have to provide sales coaching to be an effective sales manager, just as you don’t have to be a strong leader to be a strong manager. Still, when someone is an effective sales coach, they become a blend of a sales manager/leader as their team listens and will follow them. People follow leaders. 

We only hire sales managers who manage, provide sales coaching, and lead effectively.