| Coaching sales staff members on consultative | | | | confidently about money and budgets, this |
| selling methods | | | | objection would haunt him forever! |
| To establish a strong administrative system based | | | | There are many management tools available that |
| on a "coaching culture" can help build a more | | | | can assist a manager of a small business in this |
| successful practice. | | | | endeavor. Quick Coach is one example of a CD |
| Coaching staff members on consultative selling | | | | full of helpful ideas on how to start coaching. I use |
| methods, then establishing a strong administrative | | | | it to access coaching suggestions for a |
| system based on a "coaching culture" can help | | | | representative's identified roadblock. The program |
| build a more successful practice. | | | | offers positive affirmations, recommends books |
| Coaching-from sports to business management-is | | | | on coaching, and other training and coaching |
| recognized as one of a manager's most important | | | | resources. In short, it provides a mini-course for |
| activities along with recruiting, motivating, and | | | | creating a coaching culture. |
| assigning accountability. In order to help people | | | | Introducing more productive ways of thinking can |
| capitalize on their strengths and overcome | | | | be a coaching challenge. A staff member who has |
| personal obstacles to attain their next level of | | | | the desire to be successful, the unconditional |
| expertise, a coach must focus on high return on | | | | commitment to do whatever it takes to be |
| investment (ROI) skills, implement a strong selling | | | | successful (i.e., within solid professional and ethical |
| system, understand the hand you've been dealt, | | | | parameters), and the willingness to take personal |
| and track metrics. | | | | responsibility for their success will be able to |
| This article examines deterrents to coaching and | | | | adjust their mindsets once they understand the |
| de-mystifies the process by providing ideas and | | | | benefits to their clients, the business/practice, and |
| tools that help create a coaching culture for | | | | their own professional development. |
| generating a high ROI. In Rethinking the Sales | | | | Implement a Strong System Process for |
| Force, Neil Rackham & John deVincentis note, | | | | Consultative Selling |
| "Studies of high-performance consultative sales | | | | A strong system provides a framework for |
| forces consistently show that systematic | | | | assessing needs and measuring progress, |
| high-quality coaching is the most important single | | | | including:o Clear steps that can be inspected and |
| tool for developing performance." | | | | monitored;o A common language for planning and |
| When to Coach Your Sales Team | | | | debriefing on office visits;o A framework for |
| High-performance business managers crave | | | | making joint decisions regarding sales when |
| high-performance staff members. But when | | | | needed. |
| should you put on your coach's hat? While the | | | | For example, when I initially started working with |
| vast majority of people need some form of | | | | a high-end IT consulting company, they were |
| coaching, a person involved in the dispensing of | | | | convinced that their sales cycle could not be less |
| hearing aids is sending a strong signal when he | | | | than 18 months. They agreed that it would be |
| she:o Always asks for "special" low pricing;o Lacks | | | | valuable to have a shorter sales cycle, but that it |
| motivation and drive;o Lacks confidence and has | | | | would be impossible to attain. We documented |
| difficulty recovering from rejection;o Continually | | | | their selling process and optimized it to ensure |
| accepts stalls and put-offs;o Finds it impossible to | | | | every interaction with the prospect was |
| recommend top-of-the-line products. | | | | maximized. In creating this process, they created |
| Of course, these are only a few examples from | | | | a common language for the entire sales |
| an extensive list. But even if you notice only a | | | | organization that ensured more effective pre-call |
| few of these signals, keep in mind that increased | | | | planning, call execution, post-call debriefing. These |
| product "commoditization" makes staff members | | | | processes reduced the average sales cycle to 15 |
| a critical point of differentiation-your company's | | | | months, resulting in improved margins and cash |
| competitive edge. If you accept this proposition, | | | | flow for the company. |
| then coaching takes on the utmost importance. | | | | Although hearing instrument dispensing is obviously |
| Why Not Coach a Sales Team? | | | | a completely different type of environment, there |
| Considering the positive results derived from | | | | are many analogous situations relative to client |
| effective coaching, why does coaching often get | | | | "hand-holding" and consultative selling. A strong |
| overlooked? | | | | system combined with a skilled business manager |
| Lack of experience. Many managers don't know | | | | who coaches staff members via a focused |
| how to coach in a consultative-selling environment. | | | | process builds the confidence of the staff and |
| First of all, they may not have been coached in it, | | | | initiates exploration into new ways to be |
| or perhaps they experienced previous success in | | | | successful. Ultimately, this will reap personal and |
| a more clinical or transactional environment (e.g., | | | | bottom-line rewards for everyone. |
| they did the testing and diagnostics, and the | | | | Assess Sales Team to Understand the |
| fitting, counseling, and aural rehabilitation process | | | | Hand-You've-Been-Dealt |
| was left to another professional). Consultative | | | | One tool that can help a manager of a small |
| selling is very different from a transactional sale; it | | | | business determine the best approach in coaching |
| requires management's involvement beyond hiring | | | | for success is the "Hand-You've-Been-Dealt" |
| professionals who "know it all." In today's business | | | | quadrant developed by John Condry of |
| world, change is constant and staff members | | | | Cornerstones Management, a management |
| need to be strategically and tactically "on board." | | | | consulting firm. Once you determine which |
| Entrepreneurs need to learn how to coach their | | | | quadrant your staff member is in, you can |
| personnel on the effective counseling and | | | | determine the best coaching strategy: 1) |
| dispensing related to appropriate products | | | | terminate or transfer; 2) train and provide |
| services. | | | | personal goal development; 3) retain and provide |
| Lack of training. In other businesses, many sales | | | | growth opportunities, or 4) maintain and monitor |
| managers are promoted because they were | | | | performance. |
| naturally talented, top sales performers. In a | | | | For example, Jim, an office products company |
| hearing care office that requires consultative | | | | president, had two sales people who weren't |
| selling skills, however, these complex | | | | hitting revenue targets. Jack had been with the |
| "people-oriented" skills must be learned. Without | | | | company for about 9 months and had not hit any |
| appropriate training in how to coach, | | | | quick-start targets. He seemed to always make |
| entrepreneurs too often play the role of the | | | | excuses for his non-performance. "The |
| "white knight" rescuing the deal. They simply can't | | | | competition is giving product away; how do you |
| see themselves as a developer of sales people | | | | expect me to compete when you don't give me |
| who consistently outperform their manager. | | | | the negotiating room I need?" and "I don't get |
| Frequently, these same business managers are | | | | enough technical support. If you want me to sell, I |
| frustrated by a staff member's inability to | | | | need more support." After evaluating Jack's |
| produce the results they are accustomed to | | | | performance, Jim put Jack into the first quadrant |
| generating themselves. | | | | with poor attitude and low competence. Jim had |
| Lack of understanding. Business managers who | | | | three options: |
| assume their coaching is done when they point | | | | 1. Talk to Jack about personal responsibility for |
| out to their staff areas for improvement have an | | | | results to move him to quadrant two where |
| overly simplistic view of this skill. They don't | | | | there would be ROI in training efforts |
| understand that the process for delivering | | | | 2. Transfer him to another department |
| long-term behavior change should include an | | | | 3. Terminate his employment |
| awareness of the skill gap, knowledge, application, | | | | Jim had to coach Jack differently than Nancy. |
| reinforcement, and accountability. | | | | Nancy was new to the company. She had a |
| At a recent national conference for sales | | | | tremendous amount of enthusiasm and was very |
| managers, I asked the question, "Why don't you | | | | trainable. However, she lacked product knowledge |
| invest time in coaching your sales people?" Their | | | | and selling skills. She had a good attitude but poor |
| responses demonstrated a general lack of | | | | skills, earning her a spot in quadrant #1. The |
| understanding about the coaching process, skills | | | | required action to move her to quadrant four was |
| and potential ROI:o I don't like listening to their | | | | training. In understanding "the hand he was dealt," |
| complaining.o I'm busy taking care of my own | | | | Jim was able to more clearly identify what action |
| accounts.o They'll come to me when they need | | | | steps were needed. |
| my help.o That rep is so stuck in his ways, he'll | | | | Tracking Your Sales Metrics |
| never change.o I'm too busy going to | | | | Another process that managers find helpful in |
| management meetings.o I don't know where to | | | | determining where to begin coaching is to inspect |
| begin.o I'm so busy with day-to-day issues. | | | | the staff member's metrics and his/her ratios in |
| Creating a Sales Coaching Culture | | | | each step of the consultative selling process. For |
| Here are some practical ideas for developing a | | | | example, what's the value of each sale? Is the |
| coaching culture: | | | | staff member's dispensing activity in line with your |
| Focus on high ROI skills and beliefs. How does a | | | | or others' activities? Are there greater returns |
| business manager know where to focus their | | | | associated with his/her clients? Although the sales |
| coaching effort to maximize performance? Start | | | | steps and metrics will vary based on the field, |
| with an assessment tool that provides objective | | | | market, and the types of products and services, |
| information about the "selling" beliefs of the staff | | | | by inspecting these metrics on a regular basis, a |
| member. This information is a reliable source for | | | | business manager can diagnosis areas of |
| determining how to best coach him/her to | | | | constraint then focus coaching on these particular |
| maximize results. Without this type of information, | | | | steps of the process. |
| you may have your eye on the wrong ball. | | | | Personal Proof That Sales Coaching Works |
| One business manager I worked with felt that his | | | | A typical assessment by a sales person I |
| sales people always needed help in the closing | | | | encountered attests to the power of effective |
| process and spent all of his coaching time on this | | | | sales coaching: "It's so helpful to have an objective |
| step. In reality, his sales people were having | | | | person to debrief [client visits] with, someone who |
| difficulty with the discovery phase, believing it was | | | | can help me identify the roadblocks that seem to |
| impolite to ask questions. Without answers to the | | | | block my way repeatedly." |
| right questions, outstanding closing skills, and | | | | Linda Richardson in her book, Sales Coaching, |
| consultative sales strategies are useless! | | | | sums up the critical need for effective coaching in |
| As a sales manager, Objective Management | | | | business: "Even if an organization has a compelling |
| Group's (OMG) sales evaluation helps identify | | | | vision, even it is highly market-oriented, and even |
| beliefs that are sabotaging the dispensing | | | | if it has sales systems, without developmental |
| professional's efforts. Then I focus my coaching | | | | coaching as a way of life and feedback as a |
| on those areas that would address these beliefs. | | | | mainstay of communication, its management and |
| For example, as a sales manager, I had a | | | | sales people cannot continuously improve and get |
| representative who frequently said, "They don't | | | | to the next level fast enough." |
| have the money in their budget." Through | | | | Hearing instrument dispensing is a complex task |
| extensive research, OMG has determined that | | | | that demands a high degree of audio logical |
| there are a number of beliefs that are not helpful | | | | knowledge, fitting experience, and counseling skills, |
| in the consultative sales process:o I should have | | | | as well as a highly ethical approach to helping |
| the best price.o It's impolite to talk about money.o | | | | people who suffer from hearing loss. However, |
| If there isn't enough money in their budget. I can't | | | | dispensing offices/practices rely on the many of |
| get more. | | | | same consultative sales principles that make most |
| Since a discomfort talking about money can | | | | small businesses successful. A hearing care |
| negatively impact sales results by up to 24%, I | | | | business/practice-including the owner and his/her |
| decided that my coaching and training efforts | | | | staff members-stands to benefit significantly from |
| needed to focus on these belief systems. Until | | | | basic coaching in consultative sales. |
| my salesperson could talk comfortably and | | | | |