Coaching Beyond the Metrics

My approach to coaching, which I use in my role as a sales manager who works with top salespeople, is based on three essential pillars: caring, focus, and listening. In this article, I will share, what I believe to be, the significance of these pillars and offer some suggestions for how sales coaches might make good use of them to assist their sales reps in achieving the goals they have set.

Pillar #1: a sincere concern for the individual

While Stephen Stills sang it first, it is a common refrain in sales to, “love the one your with”. This is a great reminder when working with customers, but what about when it comes to working with your salespeople? How often have you sat with a manager only to be stuck in a whirlwind of someone who’s multitasking?  To be an effective coach, you must first demonstrate a profound concern for the individual you are working with and that begins with scheduling uninterrupted time with your reps. If you want to be a good coach, you need to sincerely care about the people you’re mentoring and the progress they make.  You have to work to build a connection with them that is founded on trust, respect, and empathy. You must be willing to devote both time and effort into comprehending their (what’s perceived) one-of-a-kind circumstance. If the person you are coaching has the impression that you care about them on a personal level, they will be more receptive to the advice you give and more likely to put it into practice. 

Listed below are some examples of questions that might be asked when delivering on this pillar:

• What do you perceive to be your most significant obstacles at the moment, and how may I assist you in overcoming them?
• What is it that drives you to succeed, and how can I help you work toward attaining the objectives that you have set for yourself?
• What are some of your personal as well as professional objectives, and how may I assist you in accomplishing those objectives?

Questions to gain commitment on future activities:

• In order to get past your difficulties, what actions are you prepared to take?
• In order to accomplish what you have set out to do, how can you best utilize your strengths?
• What are some concrete steps you can take this week to go closer to achieving the objectives you’ve set for yourself?

Pillar #2: the ability to concentrate on the goals of another person

If you want to be a good coach, you have to put the needs and goals of your reps ahead of your own. It is your responsibility to assist them in recognizing and achieving their objectives. After 15 years of coaching sales professionals it is no surprise to me when a sales rep comes to a coaching session without defined goals and objectives. I’m talking about the things that are beyond quota, minimums, and income expectations. Too often we get caught up doing what we are doing today because it is the same thing we did yesterday. To really challenge your reps you need to have excellent listening skills and be able to ask probing questions that assist them in gaining clarity, insight, and perspective. You have a duty to help them in exploring a variety of possibilities and solutions, and you must also encourage them to take accountability of their actions and choices. You know you are doing this well if the conversation becomes uncomfortable. If achieving goals were easy they aren’t really goals and this requires you to stretch someone beyond what they may believe they are capable of doing. 

Listed below are some examples of questions that might be asked when you are delivering on this pillar:

• What are some goals that you wish to accomplish in the next six to twelve months, and why is accomplishing these goals important to you?
• What are your greatest areas of strength and where do you feel you need the most growth, and how can you best utilize those areas to reach the objectives you have set for yourself?
• What are some possible problems or roadblocks that you could run across, and how can you get beyond them?

Questions to gain commitment on future activities:

• What specific actions are you going to take, and by when, in order to get closer to the achievement of your goals?
• How can you make the most of your resources and network to move toward your objectives?
• In order to keep moving forward with your goals, what kind of assistance or responsibility do you require from me?

Pillar #3: a willingness to actively listen and dive deeper

Active listening is essential to effective coaching, as is providing your rep with encouragement to investigate their own thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Too often I see both reps and managers listen with the goal to respond rather than to understand. The irony of these situations is that, as managers, don’t we want our sales people to listen to understand the customer rather than to product dump? Of course! This is our opportunity to display this skillset. It is necessary for you to ask open-ended questions that will assist your reps in revealing their values, ambitions, and priorities. You also need to be willing to confront their assumptions and beliefs and assist them in overcoming any self-doubt or limiting ideas that may be holding them back from reaching their full potential.

Listed below are some examples of questions that might be asked regarding this pillar:

• What are some of your biggest worries or doubts, and how do you plan to get through them?
• Which of the following views or narratives would you take into consideration that would serve you better?
• What is the primary motive or reason behind your goals, and how can you best align them with the things that are most important to you?

Questions to gain commitment on future activities:

• How can you evaluate your growth and improve based on the lessons you’ve gained from your experiences?
• What kinds of assistance or resources do you require so that you can keep expanding and improving?
• What are some measurable goals that you aim to reach, and how will you know when you’ve achieved them when you get there?

In a nutshell, in order to be a good coach, you need to have a profound sense of care, focus on the needs and agenda of your reps, engage in active listening, and encourage your reps to think critically. The use of these three pillars allows coaches/managers to not only form good connections with your reps but also to assist them in achieving their goals, as well as to empower them to continue developing and becoming more successful.