"There’s a choice that we have to make as people, as individuals. If you want to be great at something, there’s a choice you have to make. We all can be masters at our craft, but you have to make a choice."
Kobe Bryant
What would the world of professional sports look like without coaching?
Now, I ask you to think about this within the context of the sales profession. Imagine a sales world with consistent coaching? Taking this one step further... imagine a sales world with consistent training across the entire team?
Can you say, "Nirvana" I thought you could.
Training and for that matter coaching is essential, vital and critical to consistent sales success; yet it often gets a bad rap or no rap at all.
Nothing comes from nothing
Ask sales professionals and even sales managers, what comes to mind when you hear the words “sales coaching or even training?”
- Already been there done that
- It’s a waste of our time
- We already know what works
- Changing something now would be bad karma
- We're hitting our numbers (pure crap)
- Training takes us away from selling time
- We're experienced and don't need training
A know-it-all and training is above me mindset is a slow sales death sentence
PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, MULTIPLE COACHES
Multiple Coaches = Better Results!
It's time for football! During the past few months every N.F.L. team has been gearing up for the start of the season. Each player and every coach has been diligently practicing, planning and preparing; as they all have one goal in mind - get to the Super Bowl.
What are the things that great coaches do every day that makes them great? They make training more challenging and more demanding than the competition their athletes are facing.
How many sales managers make their training more challenging than their salespeople face out in the field?
So this got me thinking... how many coaches does my favorite football team, the Los Angeles Rams have? My friends, they have 25 coaches. Each coach has a specific role and responsibility.
From offensive to defensive to special teams, every coach has a specific and well defined role. Regardless of tenure, they work with each and every player. No favorites in sports, unlike sales managers who coddle some of their salespeople.
Great coaches accelerate their learning faster than the opposition
Creativity, the defining factor between good coaches and great coaches. Good coaches may follow programs while the great ones invent winning programs. They create new ideas and new directions which in turn change the sport. Look at what Sean McVay has done with the Los Angeles Rams in two years. They've gone for perennial doormats to being in a Super Bowl.
Great coaches know copying the status quo kills. They don't follow others because they know trying to duplicate others success is a recipe for disaster.
Great coaches and great teams know winning comes from being the best in every aspect: training, preparation, skills, attitude, recovery-time, gym-time, sleep, managing travel, and nutrition; starting to get the picture?
Great coaches create winning environments where a culture of excellence is what matters
Attention to all executives, those in sales management and all those in sales... How many coaches do you have on your team?
GREAT COACHES, GREAT ATHLETES
Great coaches inspire their players to do more than they think they can. They stretch their limits, beliefs and challenge them along the way. Phil Jackson built up Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. Bill Belichick has built up Tom Brady's self- esteem rather than undermine it.
These coaches don't praise mediocre effort. What they do effectively is practice catching elite athletes doing things right. They don't get caught up playing head games leaving these athletes questioning their abilities.
Why does it seem that most training and coaching goes to new sales reps? Who's coaching the experienced and tenured sales reps?
"Investing in your entire sales team yields the highest return on investment."
- How do sales professionals improve?
- How do sales professionals get better at what they do?
- How do sales professionals become even greater?
Great coaching makes a world of difference to professional athletes.
Can the same be said inside the sales world?
THE CHALLENGE
How do sales professionals become better at what they do?
Great coaches engage with their athletes. They inspire them to consistently prepare with passion as they help them to realize their full potential.
Can the same be said for those in management? It's sad that many in management view their people as numbers. It's sad that many experienced sales reps lack the nurturing, guiding and coaching that great coaches provide to their entire team.
If football teams can employ numerous coaches then what prevents sales organizations from doing the same?
Imagine all the sales improvement...
- Prospecting coaches
- Client retention coaches
- Rapport building coaches
- Time management coaches
- Communication coaches
- Questioning coaches
"How many in sales today can honestly say their sales manager is a great sales coach?"
Great sales coaches...
- Are effective communicators
- Are compassionate
- Have a passion for sales
- Are heartfelt and genuine
- Are true leaders
- Are practitioners
The best coaches plan. Can the same be said inside many sales teams? Great coaches are meticulous planners. They understand that the core goal of every training session is to ensure it provides the optimal environment for their athletes to prepare and succeed on the field.
What makes a great sales manager versus a sales leader or coach? I'm not here to bash on sales manager's as they play an important role, however; I'm here to challenge the status quo in how they grow, nurture and enhance the lives of their sales team.
“Management is transactional, while Leadership is Transformational.”
Brian Tracy
Why can't there be numerous coaches inside all sales teams? Imagine the greatness that could occur if they deployed what all professional sports teams do, a coaching staff?
MULTIPLE COACHES, MULTIPLE VOICES, MULTIPLE IDEAS
Great coaches are leaders. They dare to be different. They do things others are not prepared to do. They have a staff and together they drive change.
Why do many in management find change difficult?
Great coaching staffs fight hard for what and who they believe in. They're risk takers. They're comfortable talking about winning. They create a no bullsh$t environment.
Curious... when it comes to deploying a trainer or even for that matter a coach, why do many view as a big freaking ordeal? If they do conduct any training, it's with one voice and one voice only.
If professional sports teams have multiple coaches then why can't the same be said for sales teams?
I'm massively concerned over the lack of consistent training and coaching within many sales teams. Sales teams meeting or exceeding quota is atrocious. Top sales reps (by numbers) are not challenged to get better.
I'm calling out all those in management... the time is now to unite! Let's all commit to doing the things necessary to improve your entire team, no exceptions!
I promise you... having multiple coaches, multiple voices and multiple ideas will catapult your sales teams' success.
I will leave all those in management to think about the following...
How would feel if your largest accounts went elsewhere?
Invest in your people and challenge your top salespeople to get even better.
You may want to check out my upcoming webinar... How to keep from losing your largest accounts
I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and modern strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way! It's about understanding value before visibility.
Selling From the Heart is making a difference! I poured my heart into every page of this book and I think you're going to love it. You can find it on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. You can click on the book image below and this will take you to Amazon.
You can find more material inside Selling From The Heart.
In a world full of empty suits, I'm passionate about helping sales reps succeed by getting valuable before they get visible. I help sales teams understand the true value they bring to the market.
I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my stories. Integrating the use of social and sharing my story on LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive office technology world. With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them share their story and how they communicate it out by integrating the use of social inside the sales process. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter and on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.
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