Sales coaching is a topic that I became passionate about during my years of sales experience. One of the reasons that it struck a chord with me was that effective sales coaching means enabling everyone to be successful as part of the sales process.

But before I share how you can implement a sales coaching approach to ensure that everyone who works for you is a committed part of your sales force, let’s back up a bit.

What is Sales Coaching?

Sales coaching is the act of developing sales confidence, capacity for new career skills, and the techniques necessary for consistent sales results for each person who is part of the sales force.

Whether this is a stated part of your job description or not, sales coaching is an essential part of managing any team – corporate, nonprofit, or small business – because it affects sales performance. In fact, 60% of sales professionals say they will leave a job if their manager is not a skilled sales coach, according to research from Zenger Folkman.

Why Your Entire Team Needs Sales Coaching

One of my clients was launching a new program recently and we worked together on a brochure to effectively promote it. When it came time to add contact information, she was at a loss. If she listed her main company phone number, she was concerned for good reason about how the employees answering the phone would sell the program.

We came up with a solution for the program launch, and it was successful, but the point is, you never know how your team members are going to answer the phone, respond to an email, or interact with a client or potential client unless you’ve taught them how. This anecdote illustrates why it’s so important to coach everyone on your team in the art of sales – not just your sales team or top sales rep.

My Tips for Coaching Your Team for Successful Sales

1. Keep the Lines of Communication Open – You don’t need to have all of the answers as a sales coach. A big part of the role is about asking questions, finding out what each team member is comfortable doing, not comfortable doing yet, and how to bridge that knowledge gap so that they can excel. Make sure they know your door is open so they can come to you when they need help.
2. Praise Strengths – Building sales confidence is an integral part of coaching a team member, and that means acknowledging what someone is doing right so they can build on that success.
3. Give Constructive Feedback – At the same time that you want to focus on positivity, it’s necessary to hone in on areas for improvement and work on them together. This might include individual mistakes or areas of weakness for the whole team – so address your feedback appropriately. Talk to individuals one on one so they don’t feel singled out. When coaching the team, stick to development that can help everyone.
4. Treat Each Team Member as Unique – Because you want everyone from top to bottom to develop their sales skills, it’s necessary to meet each individual where they are in terms of career development, sales knowledge, and the art of interpersonal communication. For instance, the person answering the phones will need different coaching than the executive who works right alongside the company owner. Adapt your style as you coach each team member and the whole team will rise to the occasion.
5. Be a cheerleader – It’s your role as a sales coach to believe in your team and the product they are selling, even when they do not. Educate them in the full value of the product or service, and motivate them in the sales process. One way to do that is through contests or rewards, but it’s also possible to do so by creating an atmosphere where team members know you have their back, you’ll encourage them, and together, you’ll succeed.

By creating a company culture where sales skills are valued across the board, you are setting your business apart from the competition, while making team members feel valued and respected.

At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I coach my clients in all of the various strategies in the recipe for business success, including training sales teams and empowering executives to coach their employees. If you want to become a master at sales and sales coaching, contact me today.

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Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “DoublePlus^TM” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

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