Let’s say you take up a new hobby. Maybe it’s golf. Perhaps it’s learning to play guitar or learning how to paint. What is one of the first things you would do? Buy equipment? Maybe. Start practicing? Possibly.
At some point, probably early in your new endeavor, you would find someone to teach you how to be successful with your new skill. That person would likely have experience helping others be successful. They would know how to identify your unique challenges and help you overcome those obstacles so you can hit your goals.
You’ve likely had coaches, teachers, and mentors throughout your life, from academic settings to athletic and beyond. You probably know the value of regularly working with someone who is committed to your improvement and growth. And holds you accountable to ensure your success.
So why don’t you have a coach to help you be more successful as a salesperson? After all, your sales abilities have a significant impact on your life. They impact your income and possibly your overall happiness. If you’re like most professionals, you spend more time on the job than you do with anything else.
If a coach or instructor can provide value in a hobby like golf or music, doesn’t it follow that a coach could add value to your professional life too?
Some sales professionals have a natural resistance to working with a coach. They may fear that hiring a coach is an admission of failure. They might assume that the coach will attempt to change everything they do. Or they may be skeptical that they’ll see a return on their investment.
If you’re unsure of whether you could really benefit from a sales coach, I get it. You’re not alone. I talk to potential coaching clients everyday who aren’t sure exactly what value they will get from a coaching relationship.
Below are three of the main benefits of a sales coaching relationship. Consider the value these benefits might have for your business and your sales success. Also, read through to the end to check out an exclusive offer.
Sales coaching provides consistent training above and beyond your organization’s training program.
Many companies offer some level of sales training and coaching for their sales staff. Very often, though, that coaching is offered only on the frontend, when you join the organization. As you grow with the company and evolve into a veteran, the opportunities for training may fade.
Also, organizational sales training is often designed for the group. While group training can be helpful, it may not hit on the exact challenges and obstacles that you face.
A sales coach can customize your training specifically for your unique challenges and for your experience level. Maybe you’re struggling with ways to expand your prospecting base. Or perhaps hitting a consistent hurdle in your final presentation. Or managing your time more effectively that enables you to have greater balance in your life.
Whatever the issue, your coach will likely have seen similar challenges before and can recommend specific solutions to help you overcome the obstacle. In many ways, coaching isn’t an alternative to organizational group training, but rather a complement. Your sales coach takes over where the group training ends.
A sales coach can help you stay accountable.
It would be nice if we all had the self-discipline to meet all of our goals, objectives, and tasks everyday. It doesn’t happen, not even for the most successful and achieved among us. It’s especially hard to tackle all of your sales tasks when you have so many potential distractions tugging at your concentration.
If you’re like many salespeople, you’re working with limited oversight. It’s on you to make the calls, schedule the appointments, and do the prospecting. If that doesn’t happen, it’s you who pays the consequences.
Your sales coach can serve as a highly-motivated and committed accountability partner. They help you set the activity goals that will lead to success, and then they hold you accountable for reaching those goals. If you fail to hit your goals, they help you do a review of what happened and why you fell short so you can do better next time.
For many coaching clients, they feel like the accountability is the most valuable aspect of the relationship.
Your sale coach provides an objective viewpoint.
You’ve likely been through this at some point. You have a meeting with a prospect. All seems to go well. You schedule the next appointment. They cancel….and then nothing. They fall off the radar. The sale seemingly disappears into thin air. You drive yourself crazy trying to figure out what happened, but there aren’t any easy answers.
These kinds of situations come up all the time in sales, and often, the answers aren’t obvious. Why didn’t the prospect bite? What did I say wrong? What questions should I have asked? Why has the sales process slowed down or how do i get it unstuck?
You’re in too deep to answer these questions on your own. You need outside perspective. That’s what a coach provides. They can walk you through your conversations and appointments and then provide a clear and objective analysis of what happened and what you could have done differently or better.
Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can provide yourself with objective analysis. That’s nearly impossible for most people.
Still unsure of whether coaching is right for you? Here’s an offer for you. Let’s do one coaching call for free, with no commitment for ongoing work. We can talk about your challenges, your goals, and what’s holding you back.
If you don’t find value in the session, no worries. You’re not on the hook for anything further. If you do find value in the coaching, we can discuss options for ongoing sessions. If you’re struggling to take your business to the next level, a coach could be just what you need. Let’s get your free session on the schedule.
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- Your Prospect Has 3 Brains. Which One Are You Selling To? - November 8, 2016