How can you improve your sales coaching with books and podcasts?

1 Benefits of books

Books are a great way to dive deep into a topic and learn from the authors' experience and research. Reading books on sales coaching can help you develop your mindset, skills, and strategies for coaching your sales team effectively. You can also discover new ideas, frameworks, and tools that you can apply to your own coaching practice. Books can also inspire you to challenge your assumptions, reflect on your actions, and seek feedback from others.

2 Benefits of podcasts

Podcasts are a convenient and engaging way to learn from the voices of sales coaching experts and practitioners. Listening to podcasts on sales coaching can help you stay updated on the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in the sales world. You can also hear real stories, examples, and advice from successful sales coaches and leaders who share their best practices and lessons learned. Podcasts can also motivate you to take action, experiment with new approaches, and connect with other sales professionals.

3 How to choose books and podcasts

When trying to decide which sales coaching books and podcasts are the most relevant and useful for you, it's important to define your learning objectives. Consider the specific areas or skills you want to improve, the challenges or gaps you face in your coaching practice, and the outcomes you want to achieve for yourself and your team. Do some research and look for books and podcasts that cover the topics that interest you and match your learning objectives. Online platforms, reviews, ratings, recommendations, and summaries can help you determine the content, quality, and style of the resources. Before committing to a book or podcast, try to sample them by reading an introduction or table of contents from a book or listening to a trailer, episode, or snippet of a podcast. This will help you decide if the resource is engaging, relevant, and valuable for you.

4 How to use books and podcasts

Once you have chosen the books and podcasts that you want to learn from, how do you make the most of them? To maximize your learning experience, plan your learning schedule and set aside some time in your calendar to read books and listen to podcasts on sales coaching. You can also use the downtime in your day, such as commuting, exercising, or doing chores, to catch up on your learning. Additionally, take notes and highlights of key points, insights, and tips that resonate with you. This will help you review, remember, and apply what you learn. Moreover, reflect and apply what you learned to your sales coaching practice and discuss your learnings with peers, mentors, or coachees to get their feedback and perspectives. This will help you deepen your understanding and improve your performance.

5 Recommended books and podcasts

If you're looking to get started on sales coaching, we recommend several books and podcasts that can help. Bill Bartlett's The Sales Coach's Playbook: Breaking the Performance Code offers a comprehensive and practical guide to sales coaching, based on the author's experience as a trainer. Keith Rosen's Sales Leadership: The Essential Leadership Framework to Coach Sales Champions, Inspire Excellence and Exceed Your Business Goals provides a proven and powerful framework for sales leadership. Andy Paul's The Sales Enablement Podcast features interviews with leading sales experts, authors, and practitioners who share their insights and tips on sales enablement, coaching, leadership, and performance. Matt Hayman's The Sales Coach Podcast provides practical and actionable advice on sales coaching, based on the host's experience as a sales coach and trainer.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?