10 Benefits of Sales Coaching

In this article, we discuss 10 benefits of sales coaching that show just how valuable sales coaching can be. Sales coaching has proven benefits to a company’s bottom line. However, many businesses are still hesitant to invest in proper sales coaching. Choosing a sales coach is a critical decision for any company. The benefits of a great sales coaching program are indispensable to the growth and culture of any organization.

Sales coaching can make a huge difference to your company’s overall performance in addition to improving the overall well-being of your sales representatives. It can even inspire them to grow and past their limits and achieve new areas of success in their lives. Below, we discuss 10 benefits of sales coaching your business can gain from effective sales coaching.

1. Coaching Can Boost Revenue

Improvements in the skills of your sales force will without a doubt bring in more revenue for your organization. It would only make sense that since revenue is what keeps your company going then you would want everyone on your sales team to be squared away and firing on all cylinders. A proper training and coaching regiment will keep everyone sharp and on their toes, directly impacting sales and revenue.

2. Sales Coaching Can Improve Productivity

A steady regiment of proper and effective sales coaching can give your sales team the confidence to take care of tasks and objectives without being asked or told to. The benefits of sales coaching can give the team clear and defined steps and make them more productive by motivating them to be more efficient and effective.

3. Coaching Can Help Close Bigger Deals

Sales coaching can help your team close deals more often or even reel in bigger fish. Your sales force becomes proficient at closing deals when sales reps hone their skills and gain the confidence to tackle more responsibilities. Coaching can help instill best practices that sales reps can fine-tune as they close more deals.

4. Coaching Can Strengthen Your Organization

Good coaches can bring the team together for a win, but great coaches turn teams into champions. The same is true for your sales team. Think of the sales coach as a beacon of morale for your sales representatives. Great sales coaching won’t just improve individual performance but can also instill a sense of comradery, unity, and teamwork within your network of sales representatives. There are a lot of moving parts involved in closing a deal. Great sales coaching can ensure that everything is running like clockwork.

5. Coaching Can Help Bring In New Clients And Appease Current Ones

While repeat business is likely essential, it could get difficult to dig your team out of a rut if you find yourself in one if you can’t bring in new clients. Great sales coaching has the added benefit of inspiring and motivating sales representatives to feel more comfortable about taking risks which can lead to big deals and clients.

Great coaching can also improve your customer service which can, in turn, appease your clients and raise awareness about your business through word-of-mouth.

6. Coaching Can Improve Employee Satisfaction

People appreciate being coached because of the comfort of having directions and clear instructions. Coaching provides sales representatives with guidelines that could potentially help them to be better at their jobs, which in turn improves satisfaction. You want your sales representatives to enjoy their jobs. Fulfillment comes through success. Effective sales coaching can improve employee satisfaction through a sense of accomplishment.

7. Sales Coaching Can Help Improve Employee Communication Skills

The benefits of sales coaching go far beyond just increased revenue. The challenges and obstacles one overcomes professionally are not unlike many of the personal challenges we face every day. Sales representatives that develop and learn from effective sales coaching learn how to think better on their feet by improving their decision-making skills. They are much more adept at recognizing opportunities and capitalizing on them which in turn can enrich their lives in more ways than just closing a deal.

8. Coaching Can Inspire Creativity

Great coaches are masters at listening and observing, that’s no secret. A great sales coach will support the new and alternatives ideas and solutions to problems presented by sales representatives. Additionally, they will also help to fine-tune these ideas with their rigorous questioning. The benefit of having a great sales coach is that they are great springboards for adventurous ideas and will also help sales representatives to achieve these ideas with realistic goals.

9. Coaching Can Improve Understanding of Products and Services

You can’t sell anything if you don’t know everything there is to know about your product or service. A good sales coach will educate sales representatives about the products and services they are selling. Sales coaches will ensure sales representatives can speak dangerously about the most important highlights of their products and services so as to help prospects understand the benefits and importance of what your organization has to offer.

10. Coaching Can Help Companies Prosper Through Difficult Times

Coaching can help turn things around when a company is enduring adversity and uncertainty. Sales coaching benefits organizations of all sizes and colors. The benefits of Sales coaching include: an increase in your organization’s overall business performance, improve the quality of your product, maintain and improve the morale of your sales representatives, strengthen your employee’s resolve and commitment to the company, develop solid leaders by instilling confidence, and improve the capacity of your team to adapt to setbacks.

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These 10 benefits of sales coaching are indispensable and imperative to the essence of any successful company. Sales coaching can completely overhaul business operations and transform sales representatives. Additionally, it can revitalize your team and offer new perspectives on effective selling strategies.

Do you like what you just read? Check our Professional Sales Training Program to see what we can help you build your successful sales career.

November 23, 2017February 8, 2019

3 Tips To Help You Find The Right Sales Candidate

Recruiting for the right sales candidates (and sales managers) is more often than not, a time consuming and risky endeavor. Measuring sales effectiveness and candidate potential means having to go through the arduous task of collecting and reviewing several resumes, interviewing a variety of candidates, and then accurately gauging if the sales candidate will have the right tools, attitude, and aptitude to succeed as an effective sales candidate for a company.

If only there were a way to accurately assess a sales candidate and not be fooled by an inaccurate track record, exaggerated resume, or a misleading charismatic personality. The hiring process for winning sales candidates does not need to be as time-consuming and backbreaking of a chore. When it comes to working smarter not harder, an effective methodology may be in order. Here are 3 simple tips to keep in mind to help streamline the hiring process for strong salespeople.

Don’t Stop Recruiting

Look to hire new recruits all the time, not when you need one. Waiting to hire when you need stellar new recruits will likely result in a last-ditch effort into a rushed interview process and unqualified new sales candidates.

Concentrate your sales recruiting efforts into polishing your organization into a company that people will want to work for. You can appeal to talent by promoting your company culture, rewards, and the perks of working.The sales team is the foundation of a business, which is why the recruiting process is so imperative.

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Utilize the Job Description

The job description can either work for you or against you. Make it work for you by providing a comprehensive description of all the challenges and obstacles that the candidate will be dealing with so as to better prepare them for the position if they find that they’re up to it. You can help identify these challenges by thinking about important factors in your market. Things to think about are:

Sizes of companies
Identifying key decision makers
The number of competitors in your market
The pricing of your product or service compared to competitors
The length of the sale cycle

Automate Your Email

You probably have several resumes to reply to in your inbox. If having to respond to each one takes up a huge part of your day, then it’s time to consider utilizing an automated message reply system to help streamline responses to the large amount of resumes you’ll be receiving.

You can create an automated reply system in Gmail and Microsoft Outlook that will identify incoming resumes, sort and move them to appropriate folders, and reply with a message that will help explain your hiring process and any instructions you would for them to follow prior to taking your Sales Candidate Assessments. This will make your day easier.

November 1, 2017April 13, 2021

4 Sales Shortcuts And Bad Habits To Avoid

Good habits tend to come from resisting temptation. However, there comes a time when the lure of shortcuts becomes too enticing and we lose ourselves to bad habits and the comfort of convenience over persistence. We all have our reasons for taking shortcuts, but in the grand scheme of things, shortcuts in selling tend to not be sustainable. Bad practices such as lying about aspects of a product, or being rude and bullying a lead into buying will turn into a bad habit that will eventually harm your abilities to make a legitimate sale.

Of course, not all shortcuts hold the same weight. Some shortcuts streamline your day and could help set you up for success. Ultimately, it all comes down to whether you want to save time at the expense of producing quality work, or taking the time and effort to “measure twice, cut once.” Beware of these 4 shortcuts to ensure you don’t dig yourself into a hole of bad habits.

1) Doing research on your prospect during the sales call

It would behoove you to avoid multitasking and researching your prospects while making a sales call. Sure you can try scrolling through their company’s social media page and website but the chances that you’re actually focused and listening to your prospect is slim to none. You’ll miss key details that could help you close the sale and more importantly, you risk sounding insincere and distracted.

Give yourself enough time between sales calls to gather important key points, figures, and talking points to help you better prepare for the conversation. You’ll sound more organized and persuasive if the conversation flows well.

2) Connecting with prospects at the same time of the day, every day, all the time

Everyone loves routines and schedules. They help keep our priorities and tasks organized right? Salespeople tend to live-and-die by the plan-of-the-day. They tend to fall into comfortable habits of calling this person at a specific time in the morning or emailing prospects at the same time in the afternoon right after lunch.

The problem with this, of course, is that we don’t all run on the same schedule. How do you know if you’re reaching a prospect if you they’re on a different schedule? Perhaps the reason why you’re always leaving voice messages is that they don’t even get into the office until an hour after you make the call every day? Try switching up and varying your call and email times!

3) Leaving things to memory and not writing a to-do list

If you think leaving important details to memory works better than taking the time to grab a pen and writing it down on a piece of paper, than by all means have fun forgetting all the things you should have written down. It might seem more convenient to put our confidence in our ability to remember things, but memories can be vile and more often than not, betray us when we least expect it.

The cold hard truth is, you will forget things. So commit to the ten seconds it takes to jot down important details and label them appropriately. Maintaining a to-do list helps you identify all of your tasks and allows you to keep track of your progress throughout your daily routine. You’ll thank yourself later when you turn the page to find what you were looking for.

4) Avoiding The Gatekeeper During The Sales Call

Some salespeople tend to take the Gatekeeper for granted and attempt to duck them at all costs. However, one should be wary when burning that bridge. There is a good reason the Gatekeeper is there to screen calls. Don’t be vague with your intentions around the Gatekeeper. Give them a great reason to put in a good word for you. Treating the gatekeeper with respect can sometimes make it easier for you to connect with the decision-maker.

Keys To Success

There are never any easy shortcuts to success. As with most things worth doing, it never comes easy and often involves getting back up after getting knocked down. Stay passionate about connecting with others and build a solid work ethic by taking the time to do things right the first time around. You’ll save yourself a lot of backpedaling and heartache in the long run. You can avoid developing bad habits and shortcuts by giving it your best every day!

Do you like what you just read? Visit our resource center and download any or all of our 17 Executive Sales White Papers to help improve your sales skills training and build a successful sales career.

October 10, 2017April 13, 2021

The 5 Step Process For Effective Sales Coaching

In today’s hyper-competitive sales market, forward-thinking sales professionals are always looking to get an edge over competitors by constantly finding new ways to stay relevant and updated on the latest trends and strategies. A great sales team is the driving force behind a successful and profitable company. An effective sales coach can help the team get there. It’s comprised of a cohesive, tried and true combination of sales leaders and sales reps that are battle-hardened to understand their sales market like the back of their hands.

With that in mind, we all have to start somewhere. How do you fine-tune your sales team? While there are a variety of ways to sharpen your arsenal of skills and strategies, by far the most tried-and-true method is professional sales coaching. You won’t always have perfect sales reps, but effective sales coaching can certainly improve the performance of sales reps and help them be more effective, sell more successfully, and with less stress and greater client engagement and satisfaction. If you’re looking to mold a sales dream team, these 5 steps will help guide you on how to effectively coach your sales team.

Step 1: Observe The Team

Conducting reconnaissance in any project or scenario is vital to effective sales coaching. One of the most important steps in the sales coaching process comes from the observations the sales coach makes on the individual who need sales coaching. Gather, analyze, and interpret the performance of the individual and have a discussion on any unique gaps in their sales techniques. Highlight the most important changes the individual can make in order to improve and use the appropriate metrics within the organization.

Step 2: Measure Strengths and Weaknesses

Your sales coach will then observe the operations of your sales team and provide you with an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the individual sales rep’s performance in relation to the operations of your team. A crucial aspect of the sales coaching process is observing what is working and what isn’t between the team and your market. This step is crucial for your sales coach because it will allow them to develop a customized plan that will improve individual operations which benefits everyone in the organization. Here a few things to keep in mind when making observations:

Point out what you saw. Try and make objective statements on things you noticed.
Try to explain your observations as a cause and effect (because you did this, that happened).

Watch Video: The 7 Deadly Habits of Ineffective Sales People

Step 3: Develop and Implement The Appropriate Skills

Productive sales coaching requires a vigilant and attentive eye towards a sales rep’s best and worst attributes. Sales coaches should communicate their observations and suggest new tactics to help the sales rep improve. Sales coaches can also try role-playing exercises to help simulate the interaction between buyer and sales rep. After the scenario, sales coaches should observe how well their sales reps reflect on their own weaknesses and if there are any improvements they can make. Observe how the sales rep implements these changes.

Step 4: Observe How Well the Candidate Absorbs and Applies Feedback

After carefully watching the candidate during sales calls or role-playing exercises, sales coaches can provide one area of positive feedback that highlights what the sales representative did well and one area of improvement. Sales coaches should also make note of how responsive sales reps are to their feedback and highlight common mistakes that they are making. Make note of the amount of effort sales reps are making to correct problems and if there any significant improvements.

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Step 5: Ongoing Mentoring

Sales coaches should not only help sales representatives succeed within the organization but also support and mentor them with their career goals and objectives. The sales coach can ask a few questions to help facilitate a healthy ongoing relationship with the sales rep and to also get a better idea of their motivations and what they are striving towards. As a sales manager, understand that the success of the individuals in your team is directly connected to how well your organization runs and is well-managed for peak sales performance.

Read a Related Article: The 7 Secrets of a Happy Sales Team

A sale involves a deep understanding of the product and customer, excellent communication and presentation skills, and a positive mental attitude. Developing the right sales skills to take your team to the next level can be honed to perfection with practice and effective sales coaching. Effective sales coaching requires hard work, discipline, and training from the sales coach and the sales representative. Sales coaches should take a close look at each of the individual’s strengths and weaknesses and be on the lookout for specific things to coach. Great talent can be forged with the right amount of focus and the determination to learn.

September 27, 2017February 8, 2019

5 Smart Ways To Succeed In Sales

There are many people who have managed to find success in sales without ever reaching their true potential because they become content with their success. Many sales professionals often lose sight of the fact that there is always room to improve and do more to advance their careers and gain even more success. Those who take this extra step in sales and push themselves to the limit are known as the top 1% of sales professionals. They have found smart ways to succeed in sales by creatively thinking outside of the box and working hard.

These top performers in the sales industry aren’t just the people bringing in the most revenue for their companies. They are the ones setting the standards for everybody else by setting the trends in their industry. These top sales professionals are always hungry for more opportunities to succeed. How do these top 1% of sales professionals reach the top of their industry and continue to ride a wave of success?

In order to reach the top 1% of sales professionals, you must embrace the idea of being a trendsetter. Success is a lifestyle, not a destination and if you follow the footsteps of others you can reach a certain level of success. However, in this competitive business world, it takes more than that to reach the highest level. With this in mind, following the safe path will not always take you to the top of your game. The safest choice is not always the best choice if you want to be in the top 1% of sales professionals. Trends in business are always changing and the ones who are willing to innovate and adapt to the ever-changing landscape of business will separate themselves from the pack. How can your business set trends instead of following them? Here are some smart ways to succeed in sales in today’s complex and competitive world.

1. Make Time For Creativity

It’s hard to be creative when you don’t make enough time for yourself to let the good ideas flow. Be patient with the process and learn to play around with new ways of doing things. Don’t judge yourself too hard when you are brainstorming. Trendsetters in business are willing to think outside of the box and patient enough to let new ideas grow. The right work ethic and the willingness to explore new ways to tackle a problem will set you apart from the rest.

2. Study the Current Trends

You need to know the rules in order to break them. Learn what trends dominate your market so you can think of new ideas to change the way things are done. Read about the latest industry tactics. Learn from the success and failures of your competitors. Attend webinars and conventions of leaders in your industry and learn as much as you can from them. Trendsetters are always 2 steps ahead of the competition because they stay informed and can anticipate moves in the game.

Related Article: Inside The Mind of a Top Sales Performer

3. Learn How Your Customers Think

Listen to your customer base and understand what works and what doesn’t. Knowing these simple things will help you generate new ideas. Figure out what they need and capitalize on it. Understand what customers are saying and have an honest dialogue with what they have to say about your business. Learning from your customers will help you to innovate and think clearly about what really needs to get done to improve your business.

Related Article: How To Brainstorm With A Group

4. Establish Your Brand

Separate yourself from your competitors by learning how to brand your business effectively and often. Incorporate your brand into every facet of your business so that customers learn to recognize you. Learn your strengths and emphasize them. Establish a good reputation with your customers by developing valuable content. Valuable content is not an advertisement. Valuable content helps to solve a problem, answer a question or address an issue for the reader.

5. Build A Great Team

Strive to build a strong foundation for your business by hiring innovative people who will go to bat when you need them to. Treat your team with respect and motivate them to keep up with new ideas in your industry. Inspire your team by holding brainstorming sessions. Let your team bounce ideas off each other and think of ways to help foster creativity by communicating clearly with them. You’re only as strong as your weakest link so it’s important that everyone is on the same page and running like clockwork.

Succeeding in sales today requires that you think outside of the box, work like hell and call on a large pool of ideas to draw inspiration from. You need to be creative and you need to suit up and show up every day. The top 1% of professionals forge their own path by exploring new ways to innovate and expand. Learn to stay motivated and hungry by executing your goals in a timely and professional manner.

If you want to learn more about how to forge your own path to success in sales and sell like the top 1% then visit The Sales Coaching Institute website. We practice smart selling and teach you the latest trends and concepts to open your mind to a new world of possibilities.

Author: salescoach