5 Mistakes You Can Avoid When Coaching Sales People

Managers wear Four decidedly different hats in their Leadership role.

Supervisor | Trainer | Coach | Mentor

Perhaps, the most critically important and impactful l role is that of the Coach.

Every Manager has the ability to become a great coach.

Sadly, though, most managers are more comfortable in the Supervisor-mode.

The mode where you tell your salespeople what to do and when to do it.

Coaching requires a strong commitment by the manager to empower their salespeople to grow. It involves a customised action plan, an environment of continuous-learning and propelling salespeople past self-invented performance barriers.

Here are 5 traps that Managers commonly fall into. You will want to avoid them once you’ve committed to being a better coach.

1. Don’t wing it…have a plan 

Winging it is for the Birds.

Coaching has a habit of failing when one or both parties enter into the Coaching session with no goal or plan for success.

Each succeeding session must build off the previous one so the salesperson feels the velocity of change.

If you are committed to investing the time to truly coach your people, utilising a step by step methodology will bridge the performance gap.

2. Don’t fix…hand them the tools to fix things

A common trap coaches fall into is fixing. That, my friends, is consulting.

Managers who habitually respond with “Here’s what I would do if I were you...” or a similar variation, are not coaching.

In these situations the salesperson proceeds to do only what the manager suggests and valuable growth opportunities are lost.

Instead, provide measurable tools for growth like KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) or OKRs (Objective Key Results) to help them track their performance.

You cannot manage what you cannot measure.

3. Don’t convince…discover

Coaching is not telling, some managers feel they need, or are expected, to have all the answers.

A strategic questioning pattern needs to be implemented to shape the salesperson to open up, think differently and speak openly.

The effective coach recognises that the salesperson is only growing in understanding when responding – not when the coach is talking.

4. “One size fits all” does not apply in Coaching

Coaching cannot be accomplished with a “one size fits all” approach.

There are many tools available to prevent this from happening.

Effective coaches understand the value in assessments to identify each salesperson’s needs to gain a unique “diagnosis” for each member of their team.

This diagnosis is instrumental in tailoring each coaching session.

5. Don’t allow unclear coaching objectives

If a coach fails to set clear objectives for each coaching session, meaningful growth cannot occur.

It’s the coach’s job to set an agenda – in advance – that both parties agree to ensure against misunderstandings and unfilled expectations.

The agenda adds a level of accountability for both the coach and salesperson and serves as an emotional tie for the salesperson to initiate positive change.

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