Verkaufscoaching

Diese Kategorie unserer Inhalte konzentriert sich auf unser Verkaufscoaching.

Unleash your Sales Potential | Hire a Sales Coach

by
sales coach

Sales Coach - Top Question from Google

What is a Sales Coach?

A sales coach is a professional who helps sales professionals develop their skills and knowledge, with the goal of improving their sales performance. Sales coaches may work with individuals or small groups of sales reps, and may use a variety of techniques, such as one-on-one coaching, role-playing, and interactive activities to help sales professionals develop the skills and knowledge they need to be successful.

Sales coaches may focus on a range of topics, including sales strategy, sales techniques, customer relationship management, communication skills, and problem-solving. They may also work with sales leaders, sales managers and sales professionals to identify and overcome any personal or professional challenges that may be hindering their sales performance.

Sales coaches are typically experienced sales professionals themselves, with a proven track record and may have a background in sales management or training. They may work with sales professionals at all levels, from entry-level salespeople to experienced sales managers and sales leaders.

Overall, a sales coach can be a valuable resource for sales professionals who are looking to improve their skills and increase their sales performance.

In this article we will cover...

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. What are the benefits of sales coaching?

Sales coaching can offer a range of benefits to sales professionals, sales managers and organizations as a whole, including:

a) Improved sales performance: By helping sales professionals develop their skills and knowledge, sales coaching can help improve their sales performance. This may include increased sales revenues, higher conversion rates, and better customer satisfaction.

b) Increased confidence and motivation: Sales coaching can help sales professionals feel more confident and motivated in their roles, which can lead to improved performance.

c) Personalized development: Sales coaching is typically more personalized than sales training, as it is tailored to the specific needs and goals of the individual or small group. This can make it more effective in helping sales professionals develop the skills and knowledge they need to be successful.

d) Greater accountability: Sales coaching often involves setting specific goals and tracking progress, which can help sales professionals stay accountable and motivated to achieve their objectives.

e) Enhanced team culture: Sales coaching can help foster a positive and supportive team culture, which can lead to improved collaboration and teamwork.

Overall, sales coaching can be a valuable resource for sales professionals and organizations looking to improve sales performance and achieve long-term success.

2. The business case for sales coaching

Here are a few statistics that support the need for sales coaching:

a) Companies that invest in sales coaching see an average of 8.9% sales increase: According to research by the Corporate Executive Board, companies that invest in sales coaching see an average sales increase of 8.9% within the first year.

b) Salespeople who receive coaching are more likely to hit their targets: Research by the Sales Executive Council found that salespeople who receive coaching are 63% more likely to hit their targets compared to those who do not receive coaching.

c) Coaching leads to increased productivity: A study by the International Coach Federation found that coaching leads to a productivity increase of 86%.

d) Coaching leads to improved employee retention: According to research by the Corporate Executive Board, companies with high-quality coaching programs have a 7% lower turnover rate compared to those without coaching programs.

e) Coaching leads to better customer satisfaction: A study by the Corporate Executive Board found that companies with high-quality coaching programs have a 13.5% higher customer satisfaction rate compared to those without coaching programs.

These statistics demonstrate the significant impact that sales coaching can have on sales performance, productivity, employee retention, and customer satisfaction.

Hire a Sales Coach
Hire a Sales Coach

3. Individual sales coaching vs Group sales coaching

Individual sales coaching involves working with a single sales professional on a one-on-one basis to help them develop specific skills and knowledge. This type of coaching is typically more personalized and tailored to the specific needs and goals of the individual. 

Individual coaching may be conducted in person or virtually, and may involve a range of topics such as sales strategy, business development and sales calls.  An effective sales coach would also deliver one on one sessions on techniques, sales cycle, controlling sales conversations, role-playing, interactive activities, and feedback sessions. A sales coaches job is to help build confidence and encourage sales reps to reflect on their own sales performance.  

It’s not the role of the sales coach to motivate reps. Top performers in sales are self motivated not just by revenue goals and more sales, but by their own professional development.

Group coaching, on the other hand, involves working with a small group of sales professionals to help them develop their skills and knowledge. Group coaching may be conducted in person or virtually, and may involve a range of techniques, such as group discussions, interactive activities, and role-plays. 

Group coaching can be an effective way to help sales professionals learn from one another and share best practices. An effective sales coach may attend team meetings, support weekly sales meetings and drive performance improvement across the sales team. 

Overall, both individual and group coaching can be effective approaches to sales development, and the most appropriate approach will depend on the specific needs and goals of the sales team or individual, as well as the resources and time available for development. 

4. How do I create a sales coaching programme

Creating a sales coaching program can be a complex process that requires careful planning and attention to detail. Here are some steps to consider when creating an effective sales coaching program:

a) Define your goals: Clearly define your goals for the coaching program. What do you want to achieve? What specific skills or knowledge do you want to develop in your sales team? Having clear goals will help you design a program that meets your needs and helps you achieve your objectives.

b) Identify your target audience: Determine who your coaching program will be for. Will it be for your entire sales team, or just a specific group? Understanding your target audience will help you tailor the program to meet their specific needs and goals.

c) Determine the format: Decide on the format of your coaching program. Will it be in-person, virtual, or a combination of both? Consider factors such as convenience, cost, and the preferences of your target audience when choosing a format.

d) Select a coach: Choose a coach who has the experience and expertise to meet your needs. Consider factors such as their background, their coaching style, and their availability when selecting a coach.

e) Create a schedule: Determine the frequency and duration of your coaching sessions. Will they be weekly, biweekly, or monthly? How long will each session be? Consider the schedules of your participants and the goals of your program when creating a schedule.

f) Plan the content: Design the content of your coaching program to meet your specific goals and the needs of your target audience. This may include topics such as sales techniques, customer relationship management.

5. How do you coach a sales person?

Coaching a salesperson can be a rewarding and challenging experience, as it requires strong communication skills, a deep understanding of sales techniques, and the ability to adapt to the individual needs and goals of the sales rep. Here are some steps to consider when coaching a salesperson:

a) Establish a relationship of trust and respect: Building trust and respect is essential for any coaching relationship. This may involve establishing clear expectations, being open and honest with feedback, and showing genuine interest in the salesperson’s development.

b) Identify the salesperson’s strengths and areas for improvement: Assessing the salesperson’s strengths and areas for improvement can help you tailor your coaching to their specific needs and goals. This may involve observing their sales interactions, reviewing their performance data, and asking for feedback from the salesperson and their colleagues.

c) Set specific, measurable goals: Setting specific, measurable goals can help the salesperson stay focused and motivated, and can provide a roadmap for their development. Consider setting both short-term and long-term goals, and be sure to track progress regularly.

d) Provide ongoing support and feedback: Offer ongoing support and feedback to help the salesperson develop their skills and knowledge. This may involve one-on-one coaching sessions, role-playing, or other interactive activities that allow the salesperson to practice and apply what they have learned.

e) Encourage self-reflection and continuous learning: Encourage the salesperson to reflect on their performance and seek out opportunities for continuous learning. This may involve encouraging them to read industry publications, attend training.

sales coach
Sales Coaching

6. What are the best sales coaching techniques?

There are a wide range of sales coaching techniques that can be effective in helping sales professionals develop their skills and knowledge. Here are a few examples:

a) One-on-one coaching: One-on-one coaching involves working with a sales professional on a one-on-one basis to help them develop specific skills and knowledge. This type of coaching is typically more personalized and tailored to the specific needs and goals of the individual.

b) Role-playing: Role-playing involves simulating real-life sales situations and allowing the sales professional to practice and apply what they have learned. This can be a useful technique for helping sales professionals develop their communication and problem-solving skills.

c) Interactive activities: Interactive activities, such as case studies or simulations, can be a useful way to engage sales professionals and help them apply their knowledge to real-world situations.

d) Group coaching: Group coaching involves working with a small group of sales professionals to help them develop their skills and knowledge. Group coaching may involve group discussions, interactive activities, and role-plays, and can be an effective way to help sales professionals learn from one another and share best practices.

e) Feedback sessions: Providing ongoing feedback can be a valuable technique for helping sales professionals improve their performance. Feedback sessions should be conducted in a constructive and supportive manner, and should focus on specific areas for improvement.

Overall, the best sales coaching techniques will depend on the specific needs and goals of the sales team or individual, as well as the resources and time available for development.

7. Examples of sales coaching questions

There are a wide range of sales coaching questions that can be effective in helping sales professionals develop their skills and knowledge. Here are a few examples:

  1. What are your specific goals for this coaching session?

  2. What are your current challenges in the sales process?

  3. What do you feel confident about in your sales approach?

  4. What are your areas for improvement in your sales approach?

  5. How do you currently handle objections from prospects?

  6. How do you currently build relationships with prospects and customers?

  7. How do you currently follow up with prospects and customers?

  8. How do you currently measure your sales performance?

  9. What are some best practices or strategies that have worked well for you in the past?

  10. What resources or support do you need to achieve your goals?

Sales coaching questions should be tailored to the specific needs and goals of the sales professional or small group, and should be designed to encourage reflection, learning, and action. By asking thoughtful and targeted questions, sales coaches can help sales professionals identify areas for improvement, develop new strategies and approaches, and track their progress towards their goals.

8. What skills does a sales coach require?

A good Sales coach requires a range of skills to effectively coach sales reps including:

a) Sales expertise: Coaches should have a deep understanding of sales techniques, customer relationship management, and the sales process. This may involve having a background in sales management or training, or having extensive experience as a sales professional.

b) Communication skills: Coaches should have strong communication skills, including the ability to listen actively, ask clarifying questions, and provide feedback in a constructive and supportive manner.

c) Coaching skills: Coaches should have a strong understanding of coaching principles and techniques, including how to set goals, provide feedback, and facilitate learning and development.

d) Adaptability: Coaches should be able to adapt to the specific needs and goals of the salespeople they are working with, as well as to any changes in the sales environment.

e) Empathy: Coaches should be able to show empathy and understanding for the challenges and concerns of the salespeople they are working with, which can help build trust and rapport.

By developing these skills, coaches can become more effective at helping sales professionals develop their skills and knowledge, and improve their sales performance.

Sales Coach
Effective Sales Coaching

9. Does a sales manager need a sales coach?

Sales managers can benefit from sales coaching just like sales professionals can. In fact, sales coaching can be especially valuable for every sales manager, as they often have a greater responsibility for leading and developing their sales teams.

Sales coaching can help a sales manager develop a range of skills, including:

  1. Leadership skills: Sales coaching can help sales managers develop their leadership skills, such as communication, delegation, and team-building.

  2. Sales techniques: Sales managers can benefit from sales coaching to help them stay up to date with the latest sales techniques and best practices.

  3. Coaching skills: Sales managers who are responsible for coaching their team members can benefit from sales coaching to help them develop their coaching skills and techniques.

  4. Problem-solving: Sales managers often face a range of challenges, such as managing difficult customers or navigating complex sales environments. Sales coaching can help them develop problem-solving skills and strategies to address these challenges.

Overall, sales coaching can be a valuable resource for any sales manager looking to develop their skills and knowledge, and improve both their performance and that of their sales reps.

10. What role should sales leadership play in sales coaching?

Sales leadership plays a crucial role in coaching, as they are responsible for setting the tone and direction for the team’s development. Here are a few ways in which sales leadership can support coaching within their organization:

  1. Establish a coaching culture: Sales leadership can help create a coaching culture by emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and development, and by providing resources and support for coaching efforts.

  2. Set clear goals and expectations: Sales leadership should communicate clear goals and expectations for sales coaching, and ensure that coaching efforts are aligned with the overall goals and objectives of the organization.

  3. Provide resources and support: Sales leadership should provide the necessary resources and support to enable effective coaching, such as training materials, coaching tools, and dedicated coaching time.

  4. Encourage self-reflection and continuous learning: Sales leadership can encourage sales professionals to engage in self-reflection and continuous learning by setting aside dedicated time for coaching, providing access to resources and training, and recognizing and rewarding the efforts of those who engage in coaching activities.

  5. Model coaching behaviors: Sales leadership should model coaching behaviors by demonstrating a commitment to continuous learning and development, and by providing supportive and constructive feedback to sales professionals.

Overall, sales leadership plays a crucial role in establishing a culture of coaching and supporting the development of sales professionals within the organization.

11. What's the difference between sales coaching and sales training?

Sales coaching and sales training are two different approaches to sales development that can be used to help sales professionals improve their skills and knowledge.

Sales training is a structured program that is designed to help sales professionals develop specific skills and knowledge. It may involve a range of delivery methods, such as lectures, interactive activities, and simulations, and may be delivered in person or virtually. Sales training is typically more general in nature, and is focused on providing sales professionals with a broad range of skills and knowledge that they can apply in a variety of situations.

Sales coaching, on the other hand, is a more personalized approach that is tailored to the specific needs and goals of the sales professional or small group. Sales coaching may involve one-on-one sessions with a coach, role-playing, and interactive activities, and is typically more focused on helping sales professionals apply what they have learned to specific challenges or situations. Sales coaching may also involve setting specific goals and tracking progress to help sales professionals stay motivated and accountable.

Overall, the main difference between sales coaching and sales training is the level of personalization and focus on specific goals and challenges. Both approaches can be valuable resources for sales professionals looking to improve their skills and knowledge, and the most appropriate approach will depend on the specific needs and goals of the sales team or individual, as well as the resources and time available for development.

12. Do I need a background in sales to be a sales coach?

Having a background in sales can be beneficial for sales coaches, as it can provide you with a deep understanding of sales techniques, customer relationship management, and the sales process. However, it is not necessarily a requirement for successful sales coaching.

Sales coaches may come from a variety of backgrounds, and may have expertise in areas such as leadership, business development, communication, and coaching techniques. What is most important for a sales coach is the ability to understand the needs and goals of the sales professionals they are working with, and to provide support and guidance to help them develop their skills and knowledge.

Overall, while a background in sales can be beneficial for coaches, it is not the only factor that determines their effectiveness. The most important qualities for a sales coach are the ability to understand the needs and goals of their clients, and to provide support and guidance to help them achieve success.

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

Check out our OKR based Sales Team Coaching

Coaching Sales Behaviours | Bringing out the Best

by
Coaching Sales Behaviours

Coaching Sales Behaviours – Top question from Google

How do you coach a sales person?

Unfortunately like sales there is no one way to coach a sales person that works every time. After all sales people are all individuals and therefore different so what works with one, may not work with the next.

With that said there are many commonalities and examples of best practice that will get you started on the path to success.

  1. Mindset. Success in sales like many other areas in life is hugely dependant on mindset. Confidence, self belief, imposter syndrome, phone fear and self sabotage are all to common in sales people. With the right support these problems can be overcome, however, there is one area of mindset that many ignore – hunger. The best sales people are all hungry. Hungry to learn, hungry to help others and hungry for their own success. Whilst Vision Boards and Goal setting undoubtedly have a positive impact if the sales person you are coaching is not hungry for their own success you have a major problem. Many sales people ended up in sales by accident and many sales people are simply stuck in their current role and find it easier to stay than move on. Research from the Objective Management Group shows that between Sales Management & HR, 77% of sales hires are the wrong people. You can teach strategy, you can teach skills, but you can’t teach hunger.
  1. Planning. Many companies and sales managers lack the time to implement personal development plans to their sales teams. Coaching often then becomes ad hoc, unstructured which in turn is reflected in the outcomes. In order for sales coaching to be successful and deliver an ROI, some simple planning needs to take place. In our experience it’s always best to work backwards from the objectives and tasks that the business need to happen. From there managers should document the skills required to successfully complete the tasks, followed by a GAP analysis, highlighting where the sales people are now, versus where they need to be. Lastly, this should all be documented and progress tracked to show the benefit for both the business and the coachee.
  1. Focus. When coaching sales people it’s important to find a balance between what should be done and what can be done. Rather than giving sales people 3-4 different objectives after the coaching, we have always found it best to only give the coachee one objective to complete before the next session. This allows the sales rep to focus on one skill and perfect it before moving on to the next. A laundry list of objectives is rarely completed to any level of competency that the business would desire.
  1. Data. It’s important for sales coaching to be both objective and fair in order for it to be successful. Where possible we therefore always advocate a data led approach. Data demonstrating the success and best practice of others is difficult for sales reps to deny. This in turn leads to the importance of CRM in any sales organisation, as this is where the majority of data resides.
  1. Coaches. For obvious reasons coaching is different to management, so a sales coach cannot force a sales rep to do anything in terms of the outcomes of each session. Conversely, if Sales Managers are doing the coaching then they can instruct the sales people to do things, however, if the manager has to “tell” the coachee what to do, then there is typically a problem with the mindset and any success will be limited.
Sales Motivation

At Klozers our Sales Performance coaching uses Sales Scorecards, which ensure accountability for the students. This is first used to identify a baseline, which is used to kick start and structure the sales coaching. To be effective, sales coaching should look at sales in a holistic manner. This will include addressing the all the key components of sales success, which are Mindset, Sales Craft, Activity and Development.

All successful sales people have the right mindset for success. Throughout a sales career, it is impossible to achieve success on every call or presentation. As such, salespeople need to be resilient and bounce back from rejection. Controlling our mind is a hugely important part of a successful career in sales.

We can use simple Vision Boards to identify personal and business goals. Once these have been identified it’s important to draw a correlation between the two which helps ensure sales people are focussed on the goals of the business not just their own.

Craft covers the key sales skills and competencies required to be a successful sales professional. Most modern sales roles require a huge variety of sales skills, some of which are forever changing given the fast paced nature of sales and marketing.

Activity covers the important aspects of preparation, goals, sales planning and sales actions. Development covers an ongoing commitment to improving sales learning. Reflecting on past performance is an important aspect of this section. At regular intervals it is important that salespeople reflect on their performance and use this to adapt their techniques or seek additional coaching or training.

Often when reflecting, salespeople and most sales managers tend to focus on the negative aspects of performance (e.g. the bits that didn’t quite work), but it is equally as important to reflect on the positives. If a certain sales pitch has been successful, then salespeople should reflect on what went well, and how that can be implemented in other sales pitches.

Sales coaching can be conducted online or in person, in a group setting or on a 1-2-1 basis. Regardless of the delivery method, the same coaching models are used.

Coaching Sales Behaviours
Coaching Sales Behaviours

How do you coach an underperforming sales person?

Sales coaching can motivate and enthuse an underperforming sales professional or team more widely. People are hard wired to resist change, and as such sales coaches need to be mindful of this and adapt their coaching methods to suit.

With that said, if you have an underperforming sales person you should follow this process (dependant on the HR laws in your country of residence).

  1. Via a one to one meeting have an open and honest conversation with the sales rep around why the business thinks they are underperforming and what will happen if it continues. In most cases this does not necessarily mean they will lose their job. It could mean they have to retake initial training or have additional coaching. Every situation will vary but it’s important to have this conversation.
  1. Work with the sales rep to understand the root cause of the problem and once you have done this work with them to develop an action plan that will help them overcome their current performance gap. It’s important to include the sales rep in the planning to get their buy in. The plan should detail the responsibilities of the sales rep and the level of performance required.
  1. Lastly, the company and the sales manager should do all they possibly can to help and support the sales rep throughout the coaching period. This includes reviewing their own management and leadership style.

In some cases the sales rep may have already mentally checked out as no one wants to stay in a role that they are not performing in. In some cases, however, it is possible to turn results around and it’s always worth the investment in time and training given how much it costs to replace a sales person.

What is the key to coaching a successful sales team?

The key to coaching a successful sales team is ensuring that there is a culture of learning and growing throughout the team. In order to feed that culture you will require a continuous programme of training and coaching in place. There is no quick fix to achieving the best results.

As identified earlier, one-off sales training courses may have a short-term impact, but after only 30 days its success will ware off. As such, a continuous programme of professional development needs to be in place.

Employees want to feel valued by their employers, and now expect employers to contribute towards their professional development.

Without this in place, there is a concern that your best salespeople will look for other jobs. Recruiting new staff is a resource heavy and expensive process, and you still may end up with the wrong sales staff.

Hiring the wrong sales staff can have direct (lost sales) and indirect (damage to your brand) consequences for your company, so retaining the best staff is vital.

Klozers Sales Management Training

Sales coaching techniques

Sales coaches can use a range of techniques, and some coaches prefer certain techniques more than others. Whichever technique is used, sales coaching should be driven by data and be as factual as possible.

To be effective sales coaching should question the students, and a mixture of directive, non directive and collaborative style questioning can be used.

After sales coaching has been conducted it is important to measure the effectiveness of the coaching to see if it has delivered a suitable ROI.

If the sales coaching isn’t providing to be effective, then amendments will need to be made to it, either in the form of its content, delivery or programme.

Sales coaching models

There is a wide range of sales coaching models available, however, at Klozers we use either the PEDAL model which is Directive Coaching or the GROW model. The easiest way to explain the differences are:

PEDAL – Directive in style. Solving someone’s problem for them.

GROW – Non Directive in style. Helping someone solve their own problem.

In the PEDAL model the process is:

P = Position. The coach positions the reasoning/need for a new sales skill or sales process.

E = Explain. The coach explains how the new skills work.

D = Demonstrates. The coach demonstrates how to execute the new sales skills.

A = Assess. The sales professional practices the new skill and the coach assesses their competency and provides feedback.

L = Links. The coach then links the new skill to the sales reps role and key objectives.

The PEDAL coaching model is commonplace in areas where the correct execution of a skill is paramount and no choice is allowed. For example, when sales professionals need to comply with regulatory procedures, or when sales people need to follow a prove sales process.

But what does the GROW model involve?

GROW stands for:

G = Goal. What are the salespersons goals for the session?

R = Reality. What is the current reality?

O = Obstacles. What obstacles are holding the salesperson or team back?

W = Way. What way and actions do you commit to taking to move forward?

Grow Sales Coaching Model
Grow Sales Coaching Modell

Sales Performance Coaching

Selecting the right sales coach is an important step towards improving the sales performance in your team. Quota carrying sales managers can often be swamped by their own workloads, leaving them with little time to fully dedicate towards coaching sales behaviours.

In these circumstances, to avoid missed opportunities and good staff leaving, external sales coaching could be the answer. Our expert coaches at Klozers can help you with all of your sales coaching and training needs.

Coaching for Sales Leaders – how coaching drives growth

by
Coaching for Sales Leaders

How do you coach a Sales Manager? – Top question from Google

How do you coach a Sales Manager? – the short answer

To coach a sales manager, you must have an agreed sales strategy and a sales plan with KPI’s.  The role of the manager is to execute the plan in line with the KPI’s, which is where they may need sales coaching.

Coaching Sales Leaders – here’s a more detailed look at what you can do to support your sales leaders.

Many sales managers have been promoted based on their sales skills and performance.  Whilst these are valuable, the role of a sales manager is very different and thus requires different skills.  The simplest example is coaching itself.  Most salespeople have never coached another sales rep and the whole process is often new to them.

1. What are the business benefits of sales coaching?

The benefits of sales coaching are an important part of building a business case for your coaching programme, no matter how big or small.  Whilst every business is different, we would suggest you take a data led approach to evaluate the “size of the prize” – the potential revenue benefits.

Let’s pretend that our top sales rep generates £500K in revenue per annum in an average year. In bigger teams of 10 plus sales people you should take the average of the top 3.  There is no rule to follow here other than it must be truthful.

Next, take the average revenue figure that your B players – the middle sixty percent of your team generate per annum and as an example lets assume as a group they average £400k per annum.

The potential opportunity from sales training and coaching is therefore £100k per sales rep.  In most cases the size of the opportunity is circa 10 x the cost of the training and coaching. 

We encourage every client to work these figures out for themselves.  Once everyone has agreed these figures then the business can work with the Sales Manager to create a coaching plan and set some KPIs. 

Sales Coaching Choose Coach
Coaching for Sales Leaders

2. How do you coach effectively in sales?

Effective coaching starts before the coaching itself. As a business we believe that coaching is not for everyone, as not everyone is coachable.  This can be for a number of reasons, however, in our experience there are two main reasons as follows:

  • People are not motivated to learn and improve themselves
  • People do not believe that they need to learn and improve themselves

Your business will be no different – some people will be interested and respond to training and coaching and some people will only attend because they are told to.  From our experience, Sales Leader have to make difficult choices and whilst there is no one size fits all we recommend the following:

Segment your sales team by current performance.

A Group – the top 20% of your sales team that mostly hit target.

B Group – the middle 60% that miss targets but are motivated to improve, want to learn and will respond to coaching and training.

C Group – the bottom 20% of people who never hot their sales target and whilst they may need training and coaching they have no interest in it and won’t respond.

Next, work with the A players to develop a coaching plan based on what they do that makes then A players.  Where possible use the A players to co deliver some of the training and coaching to the B players. 

The most important part here is to make sure that you hold the B players accountable to what has been agreed and taught. 

This just leaves the C-Group.  The easiest thing that any sales leader can do is ignore under performance.  Some people end up in sales by accident and they are simply a round peg in a square hole.  They may not admit it but these C players are unhappy, as no sales rep likes to be unsuccessful.  The most difficult task of any sales leader is to let someone go, even under performers but that’s why they are a leader, that’s what drives success. 

As a Sales Leader when you retain underperforming sales reps you are subconsciously self-sabotaging your own sales team.  You’re a – player salespeople will look around your office and say to themselves “why should I work hard, why should I go the extra mile, when Jonny is still here and never hits a sales target?”.  Before you know it they will have resigned and you are left trying to hire there replacement.

The best salespeople want to work with others at the top of their game, they want to train and get better, that’s what makes them the best.

So if you want your coaching to be effective you must first find people who want to be coached.

3. What is the key to coaching a successful sales team?

There are many key components to coaching a successful sales team and from our experience we would suggest:

  • The best coaching is based on data because data is difficult to argue with
  • Coaching needs to be regular and consistent to for the business and individual to benefit
  • You should follow a coaching process such as the GROW Coaching model
  • Coaching should be a KPI for both the coach and the coachee
  • Coaching should be based around established best practice and not theory
  • Each coaching session should be documented so you can demonstrate progress
  • Each coaching session should have an agreed list of actions as an outcome that are revisited.
  • Coaching sessions are not opportunities to critique salespeople or performance.  They need to be positive and supportive.
  • Coaching should focus on the lead indicators of success not the lag indicators.
What Makes a Great Sales Manager
Coaching for Sales Leaders

4. What does good sales coaching look like?

In our experience, the best starting point for good sales coaching is capturing and documenting what best practice in sales within the organisation currently looks like.  Once documented this provides a baseline that no one can deny is achievable. 

By best practice in sales, we mean the entire sales process from opportunity creation through to post sale whereby the customer is completely satisfied and happy to provide referrals. 

In most cases lead generation is the biggest obstacle for salespeople, so demonstrating via real life examples of where a new enquiry converted to a sales and a subsequent referral to another client  helps break down the “this won’t work mentality”.

Once you have identified this best practice, it’s important to map out the sales activities at each stage of the sales process.  Again, in most cases the biggest problems are typically found at the start of the sales process when your team are trying to generate new sales leads.

Next up, document the type and number of activities that the top sales performer within the organisation does in an average week.  This then becomes the baseline for sales activity.   Be sure to document the lead indicators or KPI’s and not the lag indicators. 

For example sales revenue is a lag indicator and if we use this as a KPI in an organisation with a 6 months sales cycle then it will be six months before we know if we have been successful.  Look for the lead indicators – the sales behaviours that lead to the revenue.

Now the sales coaching process can start. For example, if the average sales activity of the top performer is 50 dials a day, 5 discovery calls and 2 presentations from which they close one deal, then the role of the sales coach is to bring every other member of your sale team up to this level.

5. What challenges do you face when coaching salespeople?

The majority of challenges when sales managers are coaching salespeople revolves around two main areas:

  • Sales activity or behaviours – we call this Productivity.  These are the actual sales behaviours required to generate new leads, close deals etc.  The majority of these sales behaviours have no immediate impact or reward, and in a society that is heavily influenced by the instant gratification of likes and shares, many salespeople struggle with the discipline of constantly prospecting when the reward can be months down the line.
  • Skills & Knowledge – we call this Performance.  Whilst productivity coaching is focussed around getting more done, performance coaching is about increasing conversion.  Increasing the number of leads that convert to an opportunity and the number of opportunities that convert to deals can have a dramatic effect on profitability. 

Whilst these areas are important there is a much bigger challenge we often find when coaching and it is simply motivation.  The top performers are so self-motivated they find their own answers to the points above. 

Motivation or rather a lack of it can be caused by a multitude of things, however, unless the sales manager can find a way to help the sales team motivate themselves then they will struggle.

Motivation can come from within and it’s important to tie the business goals to the personal goals of the sales team.  Whilst goals are important, what’s more important is to find a “cause”. A cause is self-fuelling, it has an energy all of it’s own that drives people forward. 

How to motivate sales people without moneyv
Coaching for Sales Leaders

6. The Impact of Coaching on Sales Performance

Coaching impacts an individual in two different ways. The first is tangible and therefore quite easy to measure, however, the second is intangible and arguably more important, but difficult to measure.

What we mean by the tangible impact are mostly skills based activities such as questioning, telephone, discovery, presentation, negotiation skills and the plethara of other skills that the modern sales person requires to be successful.

There are a number of ways and different tools that can help you measure the impact of skills coaching. However, it’s worth first thinking of the journey that learners go on as they learn new skills.

As demonstrated by the Theory of Learning, learners move through four stages of learning before they reach peak performance.

a) Unconscious Incompetence – the learner is inept at the skill but unaware of this.

b) Conscious Incompetence – the learner is inept but is now aware of this.

c) Conscious Competence – the learner can perform the skill well but needs to think about it

d) Unconscious Incompetence – the learner can perform the skill without thinking about it.

The speed by which learners move through the four stages is dictated by the time invested in learning the new skill, the learning support available.

Unfortunately in sales, sometimes people need to fail first before they understand there might be a different approach that they could benefit from adopting. These people are not coachable and will always resist any form of intervention.

Next up is the intangible impact on the individual which as we said is much more difficult to assess. In sales one of the most important intangible benefits is confidence. Without confidence salespeople will simply never be successful.

It takes a certain level of confidence to prospect, to present, to negotiate etc, however in sales confidence is fragile, it gets shipped away with every unsuccessful call, every no from a prospect and every failed negotiation.

The biggest killer of confidence is often the empty sales pipeline. Once it’s empty is usually much harder to refill your sales funnel as your confidence becomes overwhelmed with desperation and you enter a vicious cycle of decline.

In addition to confidence, another important intangible impact from coaching comes in the form of Emotional Intelligence. In short Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the art of identifying and managing emotions both in ourselves and those around us.

Sales can be a rollercoaster of emotions and controlling these is never easy but also managing the emotions of the people around you is hugely important. At a presentation, a negotiation or a simple sales conversation the emotions of your prospect and how you respond can be the difference between winning the sale or not.

7. Talk to us

Klozers provide Exec Sales Coaching and Sales Performance Coaching services across four time zones. Our sweetspot is working with small and medium size businesses to help them take on the big brands within their industry and win.

Our team a have a wealth of experience and are happy to provide an initial consultation at no charge.

Sales Coaching – Why it’s more important than ever

by
Sales Coaching

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. Sales Coaching - Why Invest in Coaching?

At Klozers we love sales coaching.  Watching people or a company who had previously struggled, suddenly find their feet and take off, is one of the main benefits of our job. 

However, as with anything in business, sales coaching must provide real value and a financial benefit to the business.  Unfortunately, many companies still do not invest in professional coaching for their salespeople and the most common reason for this is the cost. 

One could argue that if you can’t afford sales coaching then there is an even greater need for it.  Perhaps it’s easier for people to blame the cost, than for the coaching profession to admit they could do more to help justify the costs.

We were in that position ourselves until we changed the format of our own sales coaching in order to make it easier for our clients to measure the increases in their pipeline and the subsequent sales revenue that comes from this.  If you would like to learn more about this and how you can change your own sales coaching process then you can jump to the end here.

Additional resources on Sales Coaching

Coaching the best Sales Behaviours

Sales Coaching Online
GROW Sales Coaching
Executive Sales Coaching
Remote Sales Coaching and Training

Entrepreneurs and Start-Ups
High Performance Sales Coaching
Delivering Effective Sales Coaching
Sales Coaching Course

2. Sales Training vs Sales Coaching - what's the difference?

Many people get confused between what is sales training and what is sales coaching.  Not only is training and coaching different, they also have different outputs which are really important.

Whereby sales training is about the transfer of knowledge, Sales Coaching is about the practical implementation of that knowledge in the field.

The easiest way to think of this is if your company has technical people like engineers or software developers.  The training is what a developer would go through to learn how to write the code.

The coaching is what the developer would need to turn the code into a meaningful application for your business. This means that coaching is the part that drives productivity in the sales team.

One of the main benefits of coaching is that it reinforces the new skills and techniques learnt during the training.  Without coaching studies show that up to 98% of knowledge is lost within 30 days.

In other words, one off event-based training sessions have a very limited impact on sales productivity.

3. When to coach and when not to coach

A recent study by Sales Coaching is one of the most productive activities for any sales team, however, not every sales rep is coachable.  Some salespeople have a “superiority complex” and don’t believe they can either learn or improve. 

This can be falsely reinforced by hitting sales targets that are too low or by being the top sales performer in a group.  Other people will not responding to coaching as improving sales invariably means changing sales behaviours and every human being struggles to change their behaviours.

The last reason some salespeople do not respond to coaching is because they are simply stuck in their own comfort zone and without any really powerful reason to change then they simply carry on as before.

The irony is of course that in the majority of cases these people are in the most need of training and coaching.  With that said, unless there are exceptional circumstances you should not invest time or money in coaching people who have no desire to improve. 

You must either accept them as they are and the potential negative impact they will have on the wider group, or you must have one of those ”management” conversations with them.

Get started with our Sales Performance Coaching

Learn more »

4. Sales Coaching Models

There are many sales coaching models and frameworks that you can choose from.  The one we use both internally and externally is the GROW model which we find provides the simplicity and flexibility we require.  

It’s worth noting that coaching in sales can be very different to other forms of coaching.  For example, in Exec coaching, coaches are encouraged not to provide the answers and to focus on the questions. 

This forces the coachee to come up with the answer and the though process is that because its their idea they are more likely to believe it and then act on it. 

In sales when there are potentially millions of dollars in terms of deal values up for grabs and time is of the essence, the best sales coaches will switch from a consultative coaching process to directive coaching whereby they are training, coaching and advising the coachee what they need to do.

Grow Sales Coaching Model
GROW Sales Coaching Model

Opportunities for Coaching

There are many areas within sales that lend themselves to sales coaching.  The most common areas Managers should be focussing on for coaching we have found are around:

Sales Activity
Accountability
Lead Generation
Pipeline Coaching
Qualifying/disqualifying

Deal Coaching
Field Coaching
Pre-call planning
Post-call debriefing
Storytelling

5. Growing Sales Revenue

The more adept your employees become at selling, the more revenue they will generate for your business. We use the word employees because sales has changed and the most productive companies have people in every department that can sell to one degree or another. 

For example, many companies who have now aligned their sales and marketing now acknowledge that great salespeople can do marketing and great marketers can sell. 

Best in class companies have expanded this to their operations team who are now positioned as thought leaders and subject matter experts.  This helps build brand authority and helps to differentiate companies in the marketplace.

By investing in training based on the very latest strategies, techniques and market activity, you can gain a real edge over your competitors.

6. Virtual or Remote Sales Coaching

During the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 many salespeople were forced to work from home. Homeworking was easier for some than others, however, many studies showed that people felt less connected and even unsettled when working from home. 

Many Field Salespeople who had spent their lives on out on the road where suddenly confined to their home and confronted with a completely new way of selling. These are exactly the sort of scenarios where coaching can help people adjust to new circumstances and maintain performance.

In many cases sales reps had to retrain on how to sell remotely using tools like MS Teams and Zoom.  Sales training and coaching can bring your remote team together and make it more than the sum of its parts.

The best sales trainers don’t just focus on boosting individual performance but foster a sense of teamwork and unity between your staff. To close big deals in the modern sales world takes a Team and not just one individual.  

If everyone is using a common sales language and are working together at the best of their abilities, you’re more likely to close bigger and better deals than ever before.

How to manage sales activity
Behavioural Sales Coaching

7. Increase Sales Productivity

Productivity can be difficult to measure in many roles, however, in sales there is a tangible figure every month that can be used as a good indicator. 

That’s not to say that your MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue) or other revenue goals are the only indicator of productivity, but it’s always the ultimate figure that sales reps are judged by. 

Whereby sales training is about the transfer of knowledge, Sales Coaching is about the practical implementation of that knowledge in the field.  This means that coaching is the part that drives productivity in the sales team. 

With studies showing that 83% of employees want to learn new skills sales training and coaching can make your team more productive and efficient. Quality sales coaching sessions can inspire your team and help them get out of a rut.

You may find that some of your employees feel that they know all there is to know about driving sales. However, the market is always changing, and what works one year isn’t always as effective 12 months later.

Some of your employees may have more sales potential than they think, and training and coaching can help them unlock this.

8. Closing Bigger and Better Deals

Many times human beings create their own glass ceilings and get stuck.  Salespeople are susceptible to this and often suffer from self limiting beliefs around deal sizes, sales behaviours and the whole sales process. 

Sales training can give your staff the skills they need to secure bigger, more lucrative deals, however without coaching they will quickly lose the new skills and revert back to type.

A good sales coach helps embed the new skills and strategies your sales reps learn in training and helps hold them accountable to using the new skills. As your team become more knowledgeable and confident, they’re more likely to close more deals and bigger ones. 

By using highly experienced sales coaches who live and breathe sales you are in effect fast tracking your team past all the typical problems they will encounter that slow down company growth.

Your team will learn about the latest best practices that they can follow whilst attempting to close deals. The more successful your sales reps become, the more their confidence will grow. Success breeds success.

9. Win More new Clients

Often the most difficult activity in sales is generating new business.  Sales prospecting, lead generation, whatever you call it in your business filling the top of your sales funnel is always a challenge in B2B sales.

The problem with prospecting is that nobody wants to do it, but it still needs to be done.  Many of the problems associated with sales prospecting are connected to the mindset of the sales reps. 

It’s easy to churn out 70 calls a day, and even when you achieve some success it’s difficult to get motivated to come back in day after day and make more calls. 

The job of the modern sales coach isn’t just to help improve your telephone skills, or the number of dials you make every day. A great sales coach will take a more strategic approach, and work with you on the bigger picture – revenue goals, sales coals, sales campaigns that dramatically increase your sales results.

This in turn helps to motivate and inspire your staff, and get them thinking more strategically about the sales process.   

The ROI on Exec Sales Coaching
Sales Coaching ROI

10. Coaching your Sales Team in a Structured Way

It’s common for companies to know exactly what kind of training their teams need. However, many companies are unclear about how the training should be structured.

Structure is important because it ensures that the training sticks and is embedded in the organisation. Without any form of structure you will find participants forget up to 98% of what they learn in training.

Experienced sales training providers and coaches can help you examine your current sales culture and build a training programme that’s specifically tailored to your organisations needs.

A sales training provider can carry out research such as a training needs analysis before training and coaching takes place. Any sales training and coaching should also be aligned with the companies sales strategy. 

For example, if there is a need from the business to reduce customer churn the training and coaching on this topic might be a priority. 

Training can also be built around new product launches and sales campaigns and wherever possible should be built around your current sales challenges.

11. Boost Workplace Morale

Great sales coaching can also boost confidence and improve morale amongst your staff. Research by LinkedIn shows that 91% of people agree that teams that learn new skills together are more successful.

Furthermore 90% of people surveyed believe that team learning helps foster a sense of belonging to the organisation.

Whilst not everyone will, the majority of your team members are likely to appreciate the effort you’ve put into training them, and helping them improve their knowledge and skills.

Investing in training shows your staff that you care about their career development and want them to achieve more. If staff feel valued, they are more likely to meet their goals and stay with the organisation longer.

Employee satisfaction can be worth its weight is key when it achieving customer satisfaction and meeting business targets. Training can also refresh their knowledge so they can follow and new best practices and anything they may have forgotten or become unclear about.

Coaching Sales Behaviours
High Performance Sales Coaching

12. Increase Decision Making

Many companies struggle to grow because there are bottlenecks in their internal decision-making process.  These bottlenecks occur when sales reps do not have the confidence or knowledge to make any form of decision. 

This makes companies less agile and slow to react to changes in the market.  Many companies are investing in sales training and coaching in order to improve the decision-making skills of their sales leadership team.

Effective sales coaching can help your team recognise and capitalise on opportunities to drive not only your business forward, but their professional development too.

Sales trainers act as a sounding board and can listen to your Teams ideas and help them fine-tune them to make them more effective in real-world situations.

Other benefits of sales coaching are that your team can become more creative and you will foster an environment where they feel more comfortable discussing new ideas.

13. Product and Service Training

Buyers have very little time to spend with sales reps and when they do they want to talk to salespeople who understand their industry, their business and their own products and services. 

For new sales reps this can be a huge challenge as they get up to speed on products and services. 

Buyers expect salespeople to know all the answers to their questions, and their products inside out. including all their features and benefits. While training supports features and benefits, coaching provides the all important bridge between them, and what relevance and value they provide to the customer.   

Sales coaches can help reps gain a deeper, richer understanding of the context and relevance of the  products that they’re selling.  This in turn allows them to emphasise their value when discussing them with customers.

A quality sales coach will encourage your team members to talk about the most important features of your solutions, so your prospects can clearly see how beneficial they are, resulting in more sales success for everyone. 

14. Coaching Sales Managers

Many companies overlook one of the most important elements of any successful sales coaching program, namely the sales manager. 

In most cases a sales manager also fulfils the role of the sales coach and as such has a huge influence on the success of the sales team. 

Coaching sales people will have limited results if the overall coaching program does not include the sales manager. 

Modern sales managers set the bar in terms of productivity and sales performance, so unless they are learning and improving, neither will their  team be.

Most sales managers have neither been trained in sales management, let alone as a sales coach.

Running an effective sales coaching programme is very different from being a great sales person or sales manager. 

15. Virtual Selling

The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns resulted in many traditional field sales reps being taken off the road and working from home. 

Despite most lockdowns having lifted the traditional field sales role has in some cases merged into a hybrid role and in other cases been removed completely. 

Virtual selling is here to stay and for most organisations this represented an immediate need for sales coaching and training to support reps in their changed environments. 

Sales Managers with no training as sales coaches where thrown into the limelight, and overnight were required to be the sales coach. 

In addition to their management duties, overnight they now had strategic coaching, tactical coaching, sales cycle coaching  team motivation, coaching sales calls, coaching underperforming sales reps, one on one meetings, group sessions to keep their team motivated, boost engagement maintain accountability and sales performance. 

All this whilst managing their own performance and continuing to meet the revenue and sales goals and overall sales success of the organisation.  Sales managers need support, they need professional development programs themselves if they are in turn expected to support other team members. 

Remote selling requires a different skill set and different coaching techniques in order to deliver results.  

16. In Conclusion

If you’re interested in providing structured and effective sales coaching program that’s specifically based on your needs, we would love to talk with you. Sales coaching can reverse any negative sales trends, make your team more adept at selling, improve your sales processes and increase morale within your workforce.

By getting your sales leaders on board and involved in the training and coaching process, you can increase the chances of the training being successful.

Sales coaching can also unite sales teams, help you close bigger, better and more lucrative deals, enhance your revenue, help you win new clients, and retain existing ones. Few companies regret their decision to invest in sales coaching.

Klozers has different sales coaching programs available for salespeople, sales managers and business leaders.  We have built our business on our ability to train and coach sales professionals across various industries and love what we do. 

Sales Performance Coaching Find out more & book

Coaching for Entrepreneurs to Fast Track Sales

by
sales coaching for entrepreneurs

Sales Teams with Sales Playbooks are 33% MORE likely to be high performers with win rates exceeding 50%

The Best Sales Playbook in the World
The Best Sales Playbook in the World

Download your Free Copy NOW!

1. Executive Sales Coaching for Entrepreneurs

If you have a great product or service but still aren’t getting the revenues you deserve, then it’s important that you take action and change in order to grow your business.

Our Exec Sales Coaching for Entrepreneurs programme will support you through the changes to make sure you get the success you are looking for.

Most Entrepreneurs choose us because of our ability to drive new growth which is important, but there is much more to sales than simply finding new customers.

In order to build your business you need to be able to retain and grow those customers.

Entrepreneur Coaching Services

Our Entrepreneur Coaching services are a support mechanism to help you through the inevitable highs and lows of starting and running your own business. Our coaches provide proven strategies to help you grow and hold you accountable to implementing those strategies in your business.

Please check out the video below before making any decision.

Back to Table of Contents

2. Scaling Up SMEs

We offer a premium coaching service which we accept is not for everyone, however, before making any decision please watch the video below on Sales Strategy. If you still choose not to engage us then you will at least have discovered a Strategy to grow your business.

Hopefully after watching this video you will understand the value we place on being able to deliver real results to you and your business. We aim to demonstrate best practice in everything we do.

What stage is your business?

We work with Entrepreneurs from those still building their value proposition and proving their product market fit, through to those who already have a successful product or service and are ready to scale. Mistakes at any stage along the way can cost thousands, and set you back years. Our experienced team can help you transform your sales and make it the differentiator in the market place. If you want to grow your business, sales has to be a priority?

Business Coach vs Sales Coach

Although we do run a successful business ourselves, we do not claim to be Business Coaches or offer Business Coaching. The majority of our clients are business owners, but they don’t come to us because they can’t run a business. Far from it, they are often very good at running a business, however the Sales component in the business has never taken off, and rather than continue to struggle, they take action by engaging with us to grow their business.

Many business owners come from what we describe as an product/service background, meaning they are experts at the product or service they provide. In most cases they have had no formal or informal support on sales and marketing, and this at some stage, can begin to hold their business back.

As the business owner, the buck stops with them as they are ultimately responsible for the sales revenues in the business, and as a coach we act as there trusted advisor on everything connected to sales and marketing.

Business Coaching vs Sales Coaching

Whilst we are happy to support and advise, we do not provide business coaching in the traditional sense. Our coaching business is far more focussed on sales and marketing to help you grow your business. There is, however, a cross over, as we often advise on issues such as the business strategy, sales and marketing strategy, and people strategy within the sales department.

There is typically lots of support available for business owners to help them with running a business. Good sales and marketing support is less common, but arguably more important.

The analogy we would use is one of a Doctor and Consultant Your business coach and business coaching in general is like a Doctor for your business and can advise on generic issues. A sales coach and sales coaching is much more akin to the specialist Consultant that you turn to for a specific requirement.

Small Business Owners

Small Business owners often have different challenges as they constantly juggle and multitask between trying to win new business and delivering from an operational standpoint. Whilst running a small business can be very rewarding many business owners discover along the way that they have only given themselves a low paid job with all the headaches of business ownership.

Suddenly giving up a successful career doesn’t seem as appealing as they first thought, motivation starts to wain and it can become an ever decreasing circle.

Many spend too many hours at work and miss out on important family life. This is usually unsustainable and finding a healthy balance between work and family commitments is important.

In nearly every case, the stress and anxiety associated with running a business can be alleviated with more orders. We have found winning new business and building a successful sales machine are the key to success, and the best cure for stress and anxiety.

We help business owners develop proven marketing systems and processes that deliver self qualified leads consistently. The future of your business affects your own personal future and as your coach we are here to help you build the future you want.

3. Individual Sales Coaching

This programme provides dedicated coaching for entrepreneurs to help them transform their sales teams and increase their sales growth. You will be allocated one of our business coaches each of who is an expert at growing sales.

There is no quick fix or magic wand solution to improve revenue, however, there is a systematic & process driven approach that will improve your sales results.

No two individuals are the same and we work with you to ensure that every solution is tailored for you, your people and your business.

Many of our clients come from a Technical or Operational background and have no prior experience of sales. Our Role as your Business Coach is to both support and challenge you through the changes that you will be making to improve your organisations overall Sales capabilities and effectiveness.

We do this by using a combination of coaching, but where necessary, this is backed up by our training.

So whether you’ve 10 weeks experience or 10 years, we’ve got everything you need.

Coaching for Entrepreneurs
Business Coaching Example – Value Ladder

Back to Table of Contents

4. Who Should Join Coaching for Entrepreneurs?

Our Online Sales Coaching is exclusively for Founders & Business Owners who want to make changes at a Strategic level to their sales organisation.

*Business Owners & Entrepreneurs

*Chief Executive Officers

*Managing Directors

*Company Founders

5. Typical Sales Problems We Fix

*No Long Term Growth Strategy

*No Sales Structure or Process

*Roller Coaster revenues

*Salespeople not engaged and low productivity

*Long Sales Cycles

*No Selling system

*Good Salespeople leave and poor Salespeople stay

Back to Table of Contents

6. What do I need to join the Coaching for Entrepreneurs Programme?

This programme is designed for Entrepreneurs and Leaders who are committed to taking action that will systematically improve their Sales Strategy, Structure, Process, Management, People, Technology and Client Management.

We believe in being completely upfront and honest with our clients so please ensure this programme is right for you.

You must have the authority and budget to make changes necessary. The budget will vary from literally zero, to hundreds of thousands of pounds and will completely depend on your situation.

As an example, you may require to hire new or additional Salespeople, or you may require a new CRM system.

It’s possible to spend no money at all and “bootstrap” your business, however, you will still need the authority to make the changes necessary to increase your sales.

Your biggest investment will be the time and energy you spend thinking and working on Sales. If you are not engaged in the sales function of your business it’s unlikely we can help you. That doesn’t mean you have to be selling, but you do have to be actively leading.

It’s impossible to get the huge increases in Sales Growth that you are looking for on your own so you will need to engage the team around you. We can help with this, however, your Leadership style may need to change in order for you to do this.

Lastly, and probably most importantly, you must be coachable. This means you will need to have an open mind, and on occasion, you will need to try things that you don’t believe will work. Our job isn’t to agree with you, we are here to challenge as well as support you.

Sales-Leadership-Styles
Business Coaching – Leadership-Styles

Back to Table of Contents

7. Strategic Solutions vs Tactical Solutions

This Coaching programme is focussed on Strategic solutions that will dramatically increase your revenues and help you grow and scale your business.

Tactical sales solutions are important and may be relevant for you, however, they will only transition your business to the next level. Our Business Coaching programme is designed to radically transform your sales and move them up 10 levels.

As an example you may decide that your salespeople need training and you may be correct. Training is however only a tactical move and needs to be rooted in your overall Sales Improvement Plan.

Entrepreneurs Short & Long Term Sales Strategy
Business Coaching – Short & Long Term Sales Strategy

Back to Table of Contents

8. How does the Coaching Programme Work?

Most Leaders come to us with specific challenges which we incorporate into our coaching programme. Solving these challenges may be the only thing you need us for, however, we have a process which often uncovers other areas for growth. We are happy to just work on your challenges or work on the business as a whole. This is how we dramatically ramp up your growth and scale your business. After an initial consultation we assign a coach to you who will help you through the following process:

Step 1. Benchmarking & Assessing

It’s impossible to build a plan without know your starting point so we spend time benchmarking your sales organisation against Best Practice. This is done via a combination of surveys, interviews, data and conversations with you, on your personal and business goals. The more hard data we have from you the better, as this will help us both make smarter decisions. If you have no data we will advise you on which data you will need to start collecting and which systems you should be using to collect the data.

Step 2. Build a Sales Improvement Plan

From our initial benchmarking and discovery in Step 1 we will work with you to create a bespoke SIP (Sales Improvement Plan). This plan is the vision for the Sales component of your business. The plan will include a Short Term Sales Strategy (0-12 months) and a long term Strategy (12 months +). Our goal is to identify the “Big Bets” from your products or services portfolio and create a long term sales strategy to supersede the short term strategy as quickly as possible, and we explain why in the programme.

Business Coaching for Entrepreneurs

Step 3. Easy Wins (Short Term Sales Strategy)

From your SIP we will work with you to find the easy wins that will first generate new revenue and secondly build confidence in you and your team. The timeline is wholly dependent on you and your team which means that we can go as fast or as slow as your circumstances dictate. The more time that you and your team spend working your Sales Plan the quicker you will see results. The usual timeline for the early wins ranges from 1 month to 3 months.

Step 4. Big Bets (Long Term Sales Strategy)

Your “Big Bets”  are your most profitable and easy to deliver products or services that we will focus on as part of the Long Term sales strategy for your business. We will build everything around these in the first instance however, your Big Bets may change from year to year dependent on your business requirements and the market.

Your coach will work with you to bring everything together into a one page action sheet (available via our online system) with powerful goals to ensure you and your team get the sales results you deserve.

Step 5. Action Planning

Action planning is an important part of the process as it helps hold everyone accountable to the vision, actions and goals that have been agreed. Often, accountability causes huge problems and where possible we recommend you make accountability a priority alongside your business values.

Step 6. Execution

We work with you to execute and deliver on your Sales Improvement Plan. We expect to complete steps 1 – 6 in the first 3 months of working with you which allows us 6 months to work with you in the Execution phase and help you reach the goals you have set yourself.

When you hire us our goal as your coach is to be as flexible as possible and we do whatever it takes to get results. Please note there are often multiple sessions involved in each of the above steps. Each session is planned in advance and you will be provided with an agenda for every session.

Back to Table of Contents

10. Sales Coaching Portal

Our Coaching tools and resources are designed to be accessible when you need them, not simply when we have a call scheduled. In order to achieve this we have created a secure and robust Coaching Platform inside Microsoft Teams. From inside Teams we can:

  • Chat
  • Email
  • Conference Call
  • Video
  • Create & Track Plans
  • Work on Sales Opportunities
  • Store & share documents
  • Coaching Guides
  • Training & Videos
  • Templates, Guides & Tools
Sales Coaching Solutions - Portal
Online Business Coaching Portal

Please note you will require a Microsoft Outlook email account (Free) to access the coaching platform. If you are using Office 365 you can sign in via this account.

Back to Table of Contents

11. Reviews from Coaching Clients

“Klozers helped our business achieve great results. Their due care and attention to focus not only on the sales process and execution but to also consider and hence incorporate business and marketing strategy into the wider planning helped us to realise our potential as a team and as a business.

Personally, Iain was able to coach me very well on what my focus should be as a business manager and I would highly recommend him and his team to other businesses.”

Richard Matthews – Commercial Director LettingRef

“Iain is an outstanding sales trainer and coach. He has played a crucial role in helping us develop a thoroughly professional and industry leading sales and customer service team. Having worked with us for two years, he has become our trusted advisor on all matters related to our sales strategy. His passion for what he does is infectious and I would highly recommend having a conversation with Iain to see if he could help your company’s sales performance.“

Steve Tigar – CEO Money Dashboard

Back to Table of Contents

12. What does the Exec Coaching Programme Include?

Programme Contents

  • Benchmarking & Assessments
  • Bespoke Sales Improvement Plan
  • Grow your business – Short & Long Term Sales Strategy
  • 2 x Coaching Calls per month
  • Unlimited chat, email and phone support in between calls
Coaching for Entrepreneurs
Grow your business – Coaching for Entrepreneurs

Applications to join our Exec Sales Coaching programme are available from joanne @klozers.com

Back to Table of Contents

107a High Street
Dalkeith
EH22 1AX
United Kingdom

Germany
India
Facebook-f Twitter Pinterest Linkedin-in Youtube
The Best Sales Playbook in the World - Free Download
© 2023 Klozers