There’s a lot of talk about how coaching makes all the difference in sales team performance. But do you really know the power of performance coaching? Most sales managers don’t.

The most typical scenario looks like this – the sales manager knows what numbers need to be met so he/she talks to the team and meets with the individuals. Goals are set and there is follow up. Most people thinks this coaching is enough but it is not good coaching.

The Essence Of Performance Coaching

Performance coaching is more than following some kind of checklist and offering encouragement. For a lot of sales managers who do coach, there is  a temptation to do compliance coaching. So, the conversations are focused on why someone did or did not meet the goals. This is uninspiring, to say the least. Rather than looking only at the “why”, starting thinking about how (deeply) someone on your team might meet her goals. This is where performance coaching is most effective.

Basically, performance coaching looks like this:

1. There is an agreed-upon plan with clear expectations and goals
2. It is a relationship with the coachee (the person receiving the coaching) that is based on trust, curiosity and a structure to experiment and explore new ways of thinking and behaving
3. The coach’s only agenda is to support the coachee’s growth
4. The coach asks questions that challenge the coachee’s thinking or offers observations about how the coachee might be limiting self-development
5. There is an agreed-upon system for accountability in which the coach asks, “how’s it going?” to foster self-evaluation, learning and action.
6. There is an on-going opportunity to review the plan and continue the growth and development of the coachee.

Effective Sales Coaching Is About The Human In Front Of You

Sales coaching is really a subset of performance coaching. In Feed Your Eagles but Strengthen Your Core, it was noted that “in addition to better performance, the better trained and coached teams focus on the sales activities that have a greater impact on performance.The most effective sales coaching goes beyond the goals, the numbers and even the active deals. ” It really goes below the waterline.

Sales managers are more than monitors when they coach well. By setting specific time aside, you can get to know each team member on a human level. One question that can cut right to the human level is “what do you really sell?” Sure, everyone on your team sells the same thing but they don’t sell that thing for the same reason. Your sales reps reveal part of their values system with their answers. Finding out that there is a personal reason or even a noble reason gives you the opportunity to fit the coaching more specifically. You see the human in front of you.

That’s great but…

Going below the waterline does take practice but the research shows us repeatedly that sales teams that receive regular coaching do perform far better. So, what could you watch out for?

• Stop coaching the action. This means that staying focused on the outcomes misses opportunities to enhance skills. Coach the “being.” This change in focus for your sales reps encourages learning and keeping their skills sharp.
• Know who you’re dealing with. Sales teams are always being offered incentives, usually in the form of bonus or commission. By deepening your understanding of each person on your team, you discover who is much more motivated by money and who is more motivated by recognition or a greater challenge.
• Neglecting your own skills. This happens far greater than most sales managers want to admit to. However, allowing yourself to become complacent with coaching skills could mean missing out on a potential high flyer hiding in your core or being faced with firing a low performer. Complacency can also mean you get stuck in a rut and risk burning out.

The “Right” Kind Of Coaching Will Change Your Team

Getting your sales team to perform at its best needs effective coaching and most of the work is really below the waterline. The types of personalities, the best ways to motivate and getting to know the individual are key to meeting the goals and require the sales manager to go beyond the checklists and outcomes. Getting to the deeper “how” goes beyond the judgement of pass/fail and goes to the core values and skills of each sales rep on your team. Sales performance coaching is the best kind of coaching and getting this type of coaching right will change your team for the better.

*Image via Fotolia by Jakub Jirsák

When you think about sales effectiveness at your organization, does it seem like you are close but just missing those unique elements that give you that competitive edge? Looking for a way to understand how your buyer thinks, decides, and reveals information? At The Nova Consulting Group, we believe that professional selling is a craft. With the Advanced Sales Conversation©, you have those missing elements that move your salespeople from competency to mastery. With our deep understanding of what makes and sustains high-performance organizations, we provide integrated solutions that do not replace your sales methodology and yet advance a progressive selling mindset. Be bolder, more insightful, and get results. To learn more about how to master the craft of sales and encourage sustainable high performance, call  (617) 933-7249 or email info@novaconsultinggrp.com.

Image via Fotolia by Jakub Jirsák