A high sales team’s productivity boosts revenue in an organization. Highly productive reps can improve timelines for meeting targets. One of the hindrances to the sales team’s performance is the lack of training. Managers need to find training gaps and fill them.

Sales coaching is an effective solution to drive sales performance. A coach monitors the performance of individual reps and provides coaching that helps them work better. There are different sales coaching models used by coaches to equip reps with all necessary skills.

What is sales coaching?

Effective and well-planned sales coaching provides sales reps with a platform where they can develop new behaviors and enhance their skills. It helps build a learning culture that focuses on improvement. It is a process that involves evaluating and mentoring individual salespersons on a one-on-one basis. The aim is to improve skills and drive sales performance. There are different types of sales coaching models used by coaches.

Motivational coaching: Motivational coaching focuses on providing high-impact praise. The coach devotes time to recognize the rep’s unique abilities and stirs their emotions to help them feel encouraged and excited to achieve more. It helps a rep overcome their sales obstacles and achieve more.

Strategic coaching: Strategic coaching puts more focus on the ‘hows’ of sales. The manager helps the rep to plan a systematic action that helps them boost their goal achievement abilities. The coach prepares the questions that help the rep reflect on themselves and seek answers.

Observational coaching: Observational coaching requires the coach to observe the performance of individual reps as they do their work. They then provide them with feedback that helps them improve their skills. Sales manager coaching is also important because sales managers are part of the team.

How does sales coaching help increase sales effectiveness?

Sales coaching is a continuous process and includes initiatives that enhance reps’ confidence. The team needs to be provided with the right tools and skills that help them drive sales performance. An effective sales coaching program helps reps search their inner parts to identify gaps, take ownership of their performance and enhance productivity.

Enhances rep’s skills and behaviors: Coaches use different sales coaching models to train reps to change their behavior and build new skill sets. They learn to seek knowledge that helps them improve their performance. Sales reps begin to approach the sales funnel differently. They change their sales text design, lead generation, and approach for closing deals.

Boosts retention rate: Employees leave organizations more often when their concerns are not addressed. It is costly to an organization due to the costs and process of hiring. Coaching creates a platform where sales reps can freely share their concerns, strengths, and fears. When they are addressed in time, the team stays longer with the company.

Equips reps with relevant skills: Coaching equips reps with the skills they need. It boosts their confidence in work and their sales strategies which help a company achieve its goals fast.

Sales coaching tips for a better sales team

Successful sales coaching focuses on the how instead of the what. Managers need not sell reps what they have done or need to do but how to make sales.

• Follow a formal process: A formal process involves metrics for measuring success.
• Space meetings: Do not meet too often but schedule meetings once a fortnight.
• Train in bits: Do not compact several coaching sessions into one to save time.
• Let the reps self-evaluate: You might have noted gaps and areas of weakness in a rep but do not pinpoint them yourself. Let the rep evaluate themselves through your guidance.
• Keep motivating: You need to keep sales reps interested in coaching by motivating them individually.
• Exercise your listening skills: Coaches should listen more and speak less to build trust with representatives. Listening helps managers learn the deeper things of the heart about them.

Summary

Coaching is an effective way for building a strong sales team. A coach should learn to listen more and speak less. The aim is not to tell the reps what they need to do but to help them discover themselves and adopt new behavior and style of working.