What is sales coaching anyway?
If you were to ask ten sales managers, "What is sales coaching?" you'll likely get ten very different answers. There is a lot of confusion across the board about what sales coaching IS, and what it's NOT.
One thing that sales coaching IS... it's effective.
Research from the Sales Executive Council (SEC) looked at thousands of salespeople and found that receiving quality coaching helped them improve long-term performance by upwards of 19%!
Another study from CSO Insights found a connection between quota attainment and coaching. When coaching skills exceed expectations, 94.8% of reps meet quota. When coaching skills need improvement, only 84.5% hit.
What is coaching?
Coaching is about helping sales reps, through ALL of the internal and external resources like on the job work, network, training , mentoring, their knowledge, experience, strengths and ability and enhance that person's skill, wisdom, and talent.
Rather than being told what to do, sales coaching helps:
Guide sales reps to discover how to achieve their objectives
Correct behaviors that don't have an impact
Reinforce behaviors that lead to success
Enhance strengths
Develop the skills of the sales team, not just boost numbers
Create great future sales leaders
Increase emotional intelligence
Build professional trust between the manager and sales rep
Some key indicators that you are being coached are:
You dive deeper into your ask, identifying the root of the challenge before identifying the ‘fix’.
You are being guided to information through questions, metaphors and mirroring your words.
There is a consistent and clear format and goals are aligned with your ask.
The coach is fully present and actively engaged with your question.
There is a plan forward and accountability measures that you put in place to create the change you’re looking for.
You trust your coach and are open, with permission, to receive direct communication around observations, awareness and potential blocks.
You not only see change in your performance, but you feel it as well.
The consistent message shared coachee’s when proper coaching techniques are used is the positive impact to their careers as well as their lives. This includes establishing and taking action towards achieving goals, become more self-reliant, gaining confidence, contributing more effectively to the team and the organization and communicating more effectively.
The benefits of coaching are many:
80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence
Over 70% benefit from improved work performance, relationships, and more effective communication skills.
86% of companies report that they recouped their investment in coaching and more (source: ICF 2009).
What is coaching not?
Sales coaching is not sales training. Training most often takes place in a classroom or office setting, where sales reps receive some kind of instruction. Coaching is more focused on a one-on-one relationship and usually takes place over a longer period of time.
Sales coaching is not sales mentoring. Mentoring is typically an offering or suggestion on how to handle different situations in your career or with the way you are managing your sales based on your mentors experience.
Sales coaching is not consulting. Much like mentoring and training, consulting is typically a mix of best practice + techniques for executing your sale that you are being advised on.
How do I know I need a coach?
Sales managers are encouraged to coach each of their reps at least an hour a week.Often that doesn't happen because they too are juggling so many different projects at once, especially at startups. Coaching often slides off of the priority list because some sales managers were never trained or experienced impactful coaching techniques. But it’s not always something the sales managers is or isn’t doing that cause sales reps to partner with a sales coach.
Some of the reasons we’ve seen reps seek coaching:
A need to increase confidence
Proactive planning and accountability to exceed quota
Need for a safe space to share, receive feedback and support
Feeling stuck and not elevating your skills in any significant way
Not receiving all of the support you need to up level in your career
No sales leadership and leadership being unaware of how to be successful in sales
Developing a more diverse career success team
Working through difficult relationships in the organization
Working through specific challenges women and minorities face in the organization
Exceeding quota while planning for a promotion
Being seen as a leader and setting the foundation for the sales organization
If you’re interested in learning more, let’s connect! grab some time here.