You’re coaching a sales team that’s feeling discouraged. How can you help them stay positive?

It is good that the sales team feels terrible that they are behind. It means that they still want to find ways to improve themselves. I would organize a team meeting to discuss how we can win again. There is hope.

People take action based off emotion, they justify with logic. Tapping into the salesperson emotions, by acknowledging it, and then identify the emotion they'd like to be feeling. From there, you can work with them to develop a plan to move forward and closer to their desired state. A great way to do this is by sharing a similar experience and how you resolved the frustration, discouragement, etc.

I find it is most important to help them realize they are not on their own. Everyone on the team is going through the storm together and supporting eachother. Make sure they know all your focus is to help them pull together to get to the other side of it and then be stronger for it.

When engaging with a sales team facing discouragement, active listening emerges as a pivotal approach. As a leader adopting a coaching stance, it's essential to tune into both the said and unsaid, reflecting on the team's feelings and emotions with a mindful, non-judgemental perspective. Drawing inspiration from Jon Kabat-Zinn's mindfulness principles, one can foster an environment where individuals feel seen and heard. Similarly, focus on recognising and validating the team's experiences, encouraging self-awareness and emotional intelligence. This approach not only acknowledges their current state but also steers them towards resilience and positivity, pivotal in navigating sales challenges.

From my personal experience, coaching sessions have proven to be a highly effective approach for addressing the challenges faced by sales professionals. By using the appropriate strategies, individuals are more likely to feel at ease sharing their obstacles, creating a secure space where you can help them find solutions on their own. Through gentle encouragement and a supportive environment, it is remarkable to see trust grow, enabling individuals to openly discuss their concerns and benefit from your guidance. This aspect is key to effective leadership.

In my experience if we are still in a Coaching zone, the sales person is doing some things well and this is not disciplinary. Therefore any coaching needs to be balanced to accept areas that require attention, but also focus also on the positives to keep them motivated. Dependent on their current level of motivation, will determine this balance. For example if they are very demotivated, there may be more concentration on the motivational side of things. Another objective is to accept we can only control what is happening now, and keep them upbeat that if we keep doing the right activities day to day, things will turn and success will come. Motivation is a tricky beast to conquer and understanding where their head is today is the first step

Reframing the perspective, seeing the bigger picture and learning to take smaller steps towards your goal. While doing that you get more opportunities to celebrate the ( smaller) success steps. Which creates a positive (bio) feedback loop and generates more positive energy and performance.

One way to assist your sales team in maintaining a positive outlook is by altering their perspective. Sales professionals may occasionally find themselves trapped in a negative mindset, dwelling on their shortcomings, errors, and setbacks. As a sales coach, you guide them in redirecting their focus towards their strengths, accomplishments, and potential opportunities. Encouraging them to recognize the valuable lessons hidden within their failures and pinpoint actionable steps to enhance their performance can also be beneficial. By reshaping their viewpoint, you can foster a growth mindset oriented towards development and cultivate a resilient attitude within your team.

Introduce the concept of "growth mindset" through interactive workshops. Encourage the team to view sales challenges not as insurmountable obstacles but as puzzles to be solved. Facilitate exercises that transform theoretical setbacks into practical strategies, fostering a proactive rather than reactive mindset.

Replantear la perspectiva no es otra cosa sino volverse un capitán de tormentas, las dificultades, los errores y aciertos en este trabajo son las mejores escuelas. No he visto nunca a nadie crecer si antes no cometió errores. De esto justamente se trata, mantener una actitud resiliente para aprobar las tormentas.

In my time in commercial leadership I’ve observed that If your team is open to share experiences that have and haven’t worked, open to new applications of sales techniques, and open to data driven conversations… the “discouragement” will have a perspective, and there will be an individual planning framework to tackle the route cause and resolve, rather than being lost in the pure emotion of that quite draining feeling, that can actually be a very common situation for sales leaders.

- Encourage specific quarterly sales targets for the sales team. - Conduct regular goal-setting sessions for progress updates. - Utilize a visual progress board to track goals. - Provide incentives for goal achievement. - Offer training on goal setting and time management. - Promote peer support and collaboration. - Utilize technology for progress tracking. - Arrange team-building activities. - Provide coaching and mentorship. - Foster a growth mindset for continuous improvement.

Implement a "goal ladder" where each rung represents a step towards a larger target. This visual and incremental approach helps demystify the path to success, making ambitious goals feel more attainable and less daunting. Regularly review and adjust these goals to maintain alignment with team capabilities and market realities.

Now that we have an understanding about what’s "really going on”, we can talk about behavioral change. Over the conversation we should have uncovered possible barriers as to why things are happening. Course correction begins with more questions, ultimately leading to "would you like me to tell you how to solve this" where we can give a plan outlining steps and more behaviors to concentrate on. Other times, through our questions like "what have you tried? Why do you think that didn’t work? What could you be doing more of, differently, better?” They’ll answer their own questions. Don’t enter Karpmanns triangle, being the rescuer then turning into the victim. That’s not a solid place to start.

Make sure your goals are realistic and measurable, and most importantly, make sure you're the one to control them. Set goals that are within your or your team's control and don't depend on others.

The best way to motivate a sales team is to look back their wins. I have a specific framework to do this. I bring in all sales members in a conference room and put them in pairs. Now i ask them to write about "Top 10 success they achieved in their life" It doesn't need to be a professional success. Even winning man of the match award in a school cricket match is also a success. They will write it down. Then i will ask them to share it with their pair and also listen to his/her success stories. After this, i will ask them to share it with the entire class. This will boos the energy of each member and they will also get to know the success of each member. This will improve the self esteem of each member and they will perform better from now.

Celebrate as a team. Small or big wins, a win is a win and should always get attention. Motivated and appreciated people will have better energy, are more dedicated to finding the next success, and are much more fun to work with!

“A rising tide lifts all boats”. Sales is a performance sport - celebrate all wins and encourage sales/technical teams to share WHY and HOW they won. Create a ‘Winner’s Circle’ culture where everyone wants to contribute, shares best practices and cheers on their colleagues.

Celebrating your sales team's wins is crucial for maintaining a positive and motivated work environment. Recognizing their achievements, no matter how big or small, can boost morale and encourage continued success. By showing appreciation through praise and rewards and sharing success stories, you can create a culture of recognition that motivates team members to excel. Keeping your team motivated and dedicated to excellence requires active celebration as a sales coach.

Create a culture of recognition where every win, no matter how small, is celebrated. Use team meetings to highlight individual and group successes, linking them back to the team's efforts and strategies. This not only boosts morale but also reinforces positive behaviors and strategies.

Supporting the sales team is key. Training, feedback, and development empower success. Engage, listen, and celebrate achievements for collaboration. Dedication leads to productivity. Regular check-ins, feedback, resources, and support ensure success. Supporting the team to achieve their goals and boost their motivation and enthusiasm is crucial for success in any undertaking.

Develop a mentorship program within the team, pairing less experienced salespeople with veterans. This peer support system not only facilitates knowledge transfer but also strengthens team bonds, creating a shared sense of purpose and camaraderie.

La importancia de apoyo continuo, es vital importancia, cuando las cosas van bien: celebrar, cuando las cosas se ponen difícil: capacitar y cuando las coas se ponen difíciles: capitanear.

This is where true leadership comes to the fore. It is not about telling people what to do when they're down but showing them their worth and potential. In these moments, a leader must step forward, not to dictate, but to listen and understand the root of discouragement. By fostering an environment of self-discovery and mutual trust, a leader empowers the team to find their own solutions, igniting a sense of ownership and pride. This approach revitalizes their motivation and cultivates a culture where individuals feel valued and understood. In these moments, leaders make a difference, not by driving results, but by nurturing the belief in each team member's ability to overcome challenges and achieve greatness.

Focus on key sales activities instead of results. Results are important, but they are not always under your control. Instead of stressing over the numbers, encourage your team to focus on the actions that lead to the results, such as making calls, listening to prospects, and follow up. Set daily, weekly, and monthly goals that are realistic and achievable. Celebrate the small wins and the progress that your team makes. Give feedback and recognition. Salespeople need to know how they are doing and what they can improve on. Provide constructive feedback that is specific, timely, and actionable. Recognize and appreciate your team members for their efforts and achievements. Give them public praise, personal compliments, and meaningful rewards.

Here's what I would do - 1. I would organize a team building fun activity like take them out to a bowling alley or a picnic. Use this opportunity to recognize and have each team member discuss their individual milestones and what it took to get there. 2. I would then have an open chat with them to understand and uncover the root cause of their feeling discouraged. These unspoken feelings are seldom revealed within office and are often better understood over a coffee table conversation or during an outdoor activity. 3. I would revisit some of the past milestones and remind them of how their strengths and collaboration helped us conquer them.

Discouragement can stem from 2 reasons: 1. Business targets 2. People and culture Business targets: having an open discussion, assuring them of the stability of their positions, refraining the perspective, re-willing the old wins, breaking down the goals, appreciating celebrating small wins,mutual encouragement and increasing frequency of communication works in uplifting the mood. People and culture: it can be tricky, first is the need to identify those misfit, conversations with them around the behavior and conduct, constant monitoring and taking strict action if not sorted. In case, where team feels scenario of bias, it's the leaders responsibility to ensure and demonstrate meritocracy with right metrics.