Strengthening goals and improving sales figures is something that every organization would like to experience. While not every business will be able to achieve these results, sales coaching on a variety of different tactics and strategies can help companies come up with better teams that perform at the next level. When providing training, though, organizations need to be mindful that front-line personnel aren't the only ones that may need assistance.
Offering more opportunities
Providing sales coaching to the coaches is an essential part of creating better sales personnel. Bank Investment Consultant wrote that creating opportunities for leaders to increase their knowledge of sales tactics, refresh their understanding and gain more insight on modern methods can help them better guide their teams to success. By increasing the production level and quality of someone in an administrative or advisory role, companies can enjoy the improved training and competency these individuals will pass along to any of their future trainees.
"While sales coaches are exceptional salespeople, they aren't necessarily good coaches," Tony Cole of Anthony Cole Training Corporation said at a recent conference.
He stressed that organizations will also need to try and be patient when engaging management in sales coaching programs. Just like training lower level personnel, teaching a new behavior is different than a person adopting that habit. It will take time and effort, as well as repeated fine-tuning efforts to ensure that leaders are getting the most out of training and applying their knowledge appropriately.
Taking it easy
The Denver Business Journal reiterated this point, stating that it takes constant reinforcement, sometimes for years, before practices take hold within a person. It's important that leaders act swiftly and accurately in response to how people handle new sales coaching feedback. Management need to either confront and correct the person immediately or provide praise as soon as possible. This will cause a positive mental relationship to form within the worker, promoting good behavior as associated with previous reward for doing the right thing.
The source also wrote that it's best to maintain an open conversation between managers and other employees. This will alert leaders to any issues that employees might be having with sales coaching and other job facets as they arise. Sooner notification means better responses and quicker resolution of issues.
