I am often asked why to bother with Sales Coaching. It’s evident that coaching improves performance. The world of sport illustrates this point beautifully.
Coaching must be worth the investment for championship teams because they have many coaches. In football, players have a head coach, a position coach, a coordinator, a strength coach, a nutritionist, and if needed, a sports psychologist.
The takeaway for sales: If players are willing, these coaches can mold them so that they are championship-ready performers.
How Does Coaching Apply to Sales?
Three essential benefits of Sales Coaching include:
- Overcoming our blind spots,
- Navigating situations we haven’t been through, and
- Affirming our belief in ourselves.
Overcoming Blind Spots
I had a large national account. A low-priced supplier showed up on the scene and the buyer decided to switch. We were a much higher quality product with lots of services. It didn’t seem to matter to this buyer. My boss lamented that at the eleventh hour we didn’t have anyone to support us at senior level – a sponsor who could vouch for the value we brought. I had a “blind spot,” and we lost the business.
Later with me as the boss, pitching for a large customer, I coached my team so that we nurtured a top-to-top relationship. That same low-priced supplier showed up in this RFP! This time we were ready. We identified a top-level executive sponsor on the customer’s side, and during a vulnerable moment, he weighed in. We won the business.
Why Sales Needs a Coach’s Perspective
The Sales process is very situational. There are hundreds of situations that as sellers, we haven’t been through…yet. Coaches have gone through a multitude of these situations from their experiences.
- Coaches see the bigger picture: They have a wider field of vision, like a drone flying over the court, they see the entire game clearly.
- Experience matters: Coaches have seen it all before, and can guide teams with clarity and foresight.
I was a basketball player. I still remember when Coach Rigney told us that our opponent’s defense had an obvious flaw. He said that when we swung the ball, I would be open about 18 feet from the basket on the weak side. “John,” he said, “Get your feet set and as soon as you receive the pass, take that shot. You’ll be open every time.”
Sure enough, as the game evolved, they checked me in. Greg threw me a perfect pass; I stepped into my shot and “bingo.” This happened seven more times. Coach Rigney knew it would happen. He had been there before.
Yet, there was another element here. Coach Rigney believed I would make those shots. His belief transferred to me, and I was certain the ball was going in.
How Belief Drives Sales Success
Nowhere was this more evident than in the story of Venus and Serena Williams, two of the greatest players in tennis history. As girls growing up in Compton, California, the Williams sisters were coached by their father, Richard. They practiced on courts at the public parks.
What Richard Williams could give the young tennis prodigies as their Coach was small by way of resources and techniques. However, what he did have was belief. He was the first to believe Venus and Serena would be champions. Coach Richard told them, “You are going to be #1 in the world.” They not only received his belief as truth. They manifested it.
And, of course, as history would show from humble beginnings Venus and Serena effectively changed women’s tennis forever. Both sisters achieved the #1 ranking in the game of Women’s Tennis. Just like their father told them.
The Transformative Power of Intentional Sales Coaching
So, yes, let’s be intentional about Sales Coaching. We will help our teams overcome blind spots. They will learn from situations we have lived. And perhaps, the greatest gift we can offer, our belief will elevate their performance. With your coaching to enhance their performance, champions will be made.
