Coaching Sales Teams, as opposed to coaching salespeople, requires a different approach but can be extremely rewarding when done well.
I believe building a strong, resilient sales team was one of my greatest achievements. This was instrumental in the team consistently achieving and, in many instances, exceeding the sales forecast.
The cornerstone of this achievement was the trust I was able to build with the team’s salespeople.
Getting team members to share their personal goals and aspirations presented challenges, but it allowed me to help each salesperson maintain focus.
I built a strong working relationship with each salesperson based on their knowledge. My motivation and aim were to do whatever I could to help them become sales champions and realise their personal goals and aspirations.
Mentoring was and always will be a dominant consideration in sales team coaching and in raising the skill levels of any salesperson.
Raising the Skill Levels
Sales teams worldwide are comprised of a mixture of highly skilled individuals, engine room workers (the backbone), and a small number of newbies.
Building rapport and camaraderie between these different groups is vital to developing the team culture. It should always be the secondary objective of raising the skill levels of each salesperson in the sales team.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Start by identifying each member of the sales team’s strengths and weaknesses and then developing a skills coaching plan for each team member.
The Micro Selling Skills worksheet outlined in my book is an effective tool, or you can develop one of your own. Just make sure that it reflects the current assessment and projected improvement and makes provisions for reviews.
Match people by their skill levels, strengths against and the weaknesses of the other, and where possible, pair these two people together on any team building or training exercises.
Assistant Coaches
Developing assistant coaches to share skill levels and teach others is a smart way of pulling the team together rather than you, as the sales manager, being the only coach available to help them become sales champions.
The cornerstone of any relationship is Trust. Never take it for granted; it’s hard to win and easy to lose.
Share the personal development plan you created with the salesperson. Promise them nothing other than total commitment to helping them improve their skill levels and achieve their goals and aspirations.
Only when a salesperson believes your interest is in helping them achieve their goals and aspirations will they share this with you, and only then will you have what you need.
A Committed Individual.
You will never see a coach looking at the scoreboard; the focus is always on the players.
Please focus on the team members; they will respect and follow you as a Team.
