Sales coaching is something that needs to be done in every business on a day-to-day basis. Maintaining a strong team is done through communication about what works, what does not, and how to make every day successful. One of the pitfalls of sales coaching is that it can lead to a lot of time talking and not as much time selling. Beware this trap by ensuring you and your team are setting concrete goals.
When there is too much talk.
A good employee is one who will work hard to achieve business ideals. When this good employee runs into an issue, they may feel as if their back is against the wall. During sales coaching, they may feel the need to talk about why they are of value to you and how they will change to increase performance. All of this is well and good; however, how do you turn talk into action?
Proper sales coaching is like closing a good sale. Get down to the numbers. Enough talk. It is time to get serious. Work with your team members to establish tangible goals. For instance, if the goal is to contract five new clients a week and they are currently contracting two, have them tell you if they think they can get to three or four. Five would be too high. However, when they tell you four, then you have a growth expectation set by the employee, which they can tangibly reach. You have moved from the verbal to the actionable.
Too much talk to the client.
Along with sales coaching about the numbers and goals, there should be coaching about interactions with the client. It is one thing to want to get the client on your side, to develop a personal relationship, and to build a love of the brand. Spending hours talking to a client is another thing, and never sealing the deal.
Coaching is about closing. In this scenario, you have to impart a sense of urgency to your employees. They are there to make the business a success. Yes, this means developing a personal connection with another company or client, but this also means getting the deal done.
When coaching about talking, stress the need to get serious. At the end of every interaction, a client should have had a conversation about the business at hand. They should talk about contracts, products, or other business deals, along with the conversation about how little Johnny is doing at soccer. As they say, it is not “show friends” but “show business”.
Getting down to the numbers.
When working on sales coaching from the employee perspective or from the interaction with the customer, it is always important to get back to the numbers. Numbers are the black-and-white business basics. You can talk all day, but the numbers tell a clear story.
When coaching performance, focus on metrics, conversion, goals, and other sales figures. When talking with a client, always bring it back to the deal on the table. Going over the how and why is nice, but there comes a point when there is enough talk, and it is time to get serious.
Grow your business through coaching.
We understand sales coaching is a key to a successful business. Sales coaching is tough. You are talking about the performance of a person that you like. Otherwise, you would not hire them. Take the emotion out of it. Talk about numbers, and you will always be able to have a successful conversation. For more coaching advice, contact John Pyron Coaching today!
