Sales training coaching tips based on experience and real-world implementation over many years. When it comes to sales coaching, always start with the buyer or customer in mind. We know today that buyer expectations of the sales process and interacting with salespeople are higher than ever. Customer acquisition and retention improve when sales performance improves. Sales performance improves when salespeople are better trained and coached, because it creates an environment where salespeople feel positive about themselves and their ability in their sales role. This continuous learning leads to even higher levels of performance.
Every business organization seeks to serve more customers and make profits. To do so, a lot of pieces of a puzzle must be in the right place. One of the most crucial aspects in the search for a bigger revenue stream and profit is how the sales team can sell. The basic mathematics tells you that the more sales you have, the more revenue there will be.
If you are a sales trainer or coach, take a moment to reflect on your own experience as a salesperson. Did or does your company have a formal sales training approach where there is a clearly defined coaching process, schedule, and methodology that you have been trained in? Is training seen as more informal or reactive? Or is it more random? In many sales organizations, there can be a random approach in which the sales coaching process and method are left entirely up to the salesperson requesting it.
All sales coaching must improve the skills of the salesperson, and where this becomes evident is in win or closing rates. Because at the end of the day, investing in sales training coaching is about the delivery of revenue and profits. Sales managers must master the critical skill of sales training coaching to maximize the sales performance of their teams. The role of a sales coach cannot be overestimated for any high-performing team.
One common obstacle that many sales managers encounter when they try to coach their teams is getting “buy-in,” i.e., convincing a salesperson to try a new approach or change a behavior. While it is easy to blame the salesperson in these situations, sometimes it is the sales managers’ approach to sales coaching that is the root cause of the problem. All too often these managers engage in “telling” as opposed to collaborative sales coaching.
The investment and resourcing of sales training coaching sends a positive message to all the salespeople. It shows interest in their skills, knowledge, performance, results, and careers. It is also an opportunity to identify star performers and the salespeople committed to their roles and success. Before we go into some of the fundamentals of proper sales training, it is important for any sales coach to choose the right program and delivery method for the team. It begins by clearly defining your sales process and using data or results to map out the areas that need improvement.
It goes without saying that a well-trained sales team is not only confident but also motivated with the right mindset. The impact on company sales performance and the individual salesperson’s job satisfaction can be powerful. After receiving sales training in whatever format, be it online sales training or in the classroom, the sales activity of a salesperson increases rapidly. Well planned and thought-out sales training inspires and motivates the sales team, making them eager to implement their new selling skills with customers.
Increased customer engagement means more volume of deals moving through the sales, an effect that builds over time. Sales training has the added benefit of improving both soft sales skills and the hard sales skills, especially when they are trained with sales training coaching from people they respect. Motivated and resourced salespeople naturally sell more. Blending the increased confidence that sales training brings with the skills the salespeople learn is a great recipe for successful results.
Remember that successful salespeople are successful because they have an in-built arsenal of tools and skills that enable them to open conversations, handle rejection, overcome fear, and have the confidence to handle any obstacles the sale throws up. The one thing that helps them succeed in sales is possessing softer sales skills, such as emotional intelligence, that enable them to succeed regardless of any hurdles they face. Sales training and coaching for the sales team means you will spend the time and effort on training and coaching.
Sales Training Coaching Framework
A key point to start out with is that when coaching, it is critical to make it centered on real-life customer insights and the sales problems the sales team encounters. This has the effect of salespeople tuning in to find solutions to their own performance, all while keeping the training sessions focused on their skill set. Sales training needs to be:
- Relevant and created to drive business results
- Built for modern salespeople so it can be readily applied
- Designed to support the salesperson with ongoing training
Start the sales training coaching framework with goal-setting meetings. This is about consistently reviewing individual performance results and updating goals for the entire sales team.
Walk the job and check in. The team knows that you walk the job, listening to sales conversations and checking in to see how it is going. Asking what is working and what’s not, plus reviewing what progress they are making toward achieving their goals.
Skill development matrix. This involves mapping out your sales process and methodology and aligning what sales skills are needed where. A well-documented sales process means that the process can be shown—that is, expressed visually—and can be understood by every salesperson without a great deal of explanation. This will make it easy to teach and learn. You must narrow it down to the most important areas for change. And those “skill areas” need to be demonstrable skills—not personality traits, not how they carry themselves, not inner motivation.
Custom tailor the training. One size does not fit all where sales training coaching is concerned. A basic principle of effective training is to tie the learning to organizational objectives. Which of your company’s business goals can be met by improvements in your sales process? Training works best when salespeople have a clear vision of how the things they learn can help them and their company accomplish desired goals
Performance feedback. You invest time observing the sales team and providing feedback. When observing a sales meeting or call, the salesperson can follow the sales process and methodology at a competent level. Coaching means providing opportunities for skill development training between calls or meetings based on those observations.
Sales meetings. Planned out interactive sessions where knowledge is shared, stories told, and inspiration gathered. These meetings should include opportunities for skill development training, sharing success stories and best practices, plus any developments in the market or with customers.
Sales huddles. Brief daily huddles for the sales team can be very motivating, informative, and provide quick opportunities for feedback, results, and key focus areas for the day. Also, this on-the-job development allows the team to constantly reinforce their selling skills.
Approaches to Successful Coaching
Here are some approaches to successful sales training coaching:
- An enthusiastic and open-minded approach to training and coaching. It is not a chore! A mindset that believes every salesperson can improve. A positive, upbeat, open mindset will encourage continuous learning and development within the team. Salespeople will be more receptive to new ideas, information, and approaches to work.
2. Effective communication is key in sales coaching. Coaching is about communicating and connecting with the salesperson at an individual level, to build a relationship. So, good listening skills and seek first to understand before being understood. Skilled in the art of posing questions to stimulate thinking and draw out any blockages to higher performance.
- Master motivator. They say that motivation is the fire in one’s belly. This “fire” fuels sales performance, persistence, determination, and drive. It is the explanation for why some salespeople have a positive attitude. It is the force behind mental toughness. It is the strength and the mindset that allow salespeople to overcome obstacles, sales objections, setbacks, and losses. Master motivation to drive sales success and personal achievement in coaching.
- Being adaptable means the skill to adjust and identify new sales skills in response to changing market conditions. You mold your sales training coaching to match the needs of each unique situation and salesperson.
- Being a patient sales coach will bring a calming presence and help salespeople deal with setbacks, challenges, their confidence, and harness their focus. To support the salesperson in sales behavior, change and self-reflection.
- Persistent coaching. Persistence in coaching and mentoring is about helping the sales team find a better path towards their goals. The mindset of having their best interests at heart, to play a part in their success and career.
