Sales Coaching

Call a salesperson what you will — account executive, marketing rep-resentative, sales team member, the list goes on. The reality is that sales “management” is no longer the optimum way to bring out the best in your team. Sales “coaching” is.

A decade ago, sales managers could barely spell “coach.” But within the past few years, sales representatives have reported being coached as a top reason for their success.

So is this a gimmick or the newest hot phrase to sell books, seminars and teleconferences? I don't think so. As a professional coach, I have seen countless businesses change their entire approach toward sales and the management of their sales team through coaching — and they've got the new accounts to show for the effort.

Most sales managers want to coach, and most salespeople want to be coached. But many sales organizations are struggling with how to make this happen and to change the way they do business.

What Is Sales Coaching?

A 2007 study of 2,000 salespeople by the Sales Executive Council found that salespeople who received three or more hours of sales coaching per month on average reached 107 percent of their quota, compared to 88 percent of quota for salespeople who received little or no coaching. The Chally World-Class Sales Executive Report identified sales coaching as one of the top seven benchmarks of world-class sales organizations.

So what is sales coaching and why does it have such an impact on a sales team? The answer lies with each salesperson being coached.

A generational paradigm has taken place under our noses: The people we have in sales today are very different from the old guard. This generation of reps has been “coached” throughout their entire lives, and the last thing they want is a boss. Sales coaching improves the performance of your sales team because you work with sales reps instead of having them work for you.

The sales coach does not always call the shots with his or her sales team; he or she looks at the time spent with the team as developmental, not evaluative. Coaches not only encourage their team but also take a shared ownership in their team members' success.

Overcoming Coaching Obstacles

There are three obstacles that can get in the way of sales coaching: 1) directing and not collaborating; 2) not spending enough time with your team; and 3) talking and not listening.

Remember that there is a fine line between managing and coaching, evaluation and development. In sales coaching, there is less directing and more collaboration.