Feedback is a powerful tool for improving sales performance and fostering a culture of learning and growth in your sales team. But how can you give feedback effectively and constructively, without demotivating or discouraging your sales reps? Here are some tips to help you master the art of sales prospecting feedback.
Before you can give feedback, you need to have a clear and shared understanding of what good sales prospecting looks like. This means setting SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely) goals and metrics for your sales team, and communicating them clearly and consistently. You also need to establish a regular feedback cycle, such as weekly or monthly reviews, where you can track progress, celebrate achievements, and identify areas for improvement.
One of the best practices is to have weekly 1v1s with your reps where you review the previous week's results, receive feedback from your rep, give feedback, and define SMART goals for the following week that align with your rep's personal development plan. The expectation should be that every rep's goal progress will be checked in the next session, so the reps must ensure they deliver the results they committed to.
Another point to consider is to have settled a model of collective intelligence. This is more and more used in European companies. To set a trust and security ambient on the team can help them provide a two ways feedback. Otherwise the team is always approaching to receive feedback but not to provide new ideas to improve teams' work. This means they have to feel comfortable to let managers know their needs and even concerns.
There are different models and frameworks for giving feedback, but one of the most popular and effective ones is the SBI model. SBI stands for situation, behavior, and impact, and it helps you structure your feedback in a clear and objective way. For example, you can say: "In yesterday's prospecting call, you asked open-ended questions and listened actively to the customer's needs (situation and behavior). This made the customer feel valued and interested in your solution (impact)." The SBI model helps you avoid vague or personal comments, and focus on the facts and the outcomes.
One of the great feedback models is Stop-Keep-Start (SKS). You address what your reps must stop doing, what they should keep, and what the should start implementing. Organized in a table, it helps keep track of the changes in all three areas throughout any specific period.
Feedback should not be only about pointing out mistakes or weaknesses. It should also acknowledge and reinforce strengths and successes. A good rule of thumb is to follow the 3:1 ratio, which means giving three positive feedbacks for every negative one. This helps you build trust and rapport with your sales team, and boost their confidence and motivation. Positive feedback should also be specific and sincere, not generic or exaggerated.
When giving feedback, it's key the way you say things. For that, I say "things that we can improve". As well, I use this rule on my way: I give maximum three things to improve.
One of the best practices is to start with positive feedback, then address the main issue and ask your reps' opinion on this and how they will fix it. You finish the conversation on a good note by giving some compliments about their recent achievements.
Feedback should not be a one-way communication, but a dialogue that involves both you and your sales reps. You can encourage learning and growth by asking your sales team to self-assess and reflect on their own performance, before giving your own feedback. This helps them develop critical thinking and self-awareness skills, and also gives you an insight into their perspective and challenges. You can use open-ended questions, such as: "What went well in your prospecting session? What did you learn? What would you do differently next time?"
Every time you evaluate your rep's activity (cold call, crafting email, etc.), you should ask your representatives what they think about their performance, what they like, and what they would improve. Give them homework to evaluate several activities like cold calls or demo calls, describe their feedback according to the Stop-Keep-Start (SKS) model in their journal, and take these notes with them the next time you meet.
Feedback should not be just about telling your sales team what they did right or wrong, but also about helping them improve and grow. This means providing them with actionable suggestions and concrete examples of how they can enhance their sales prospecting skills and results. You can also offer them support and resources, such as coaching, training, mentoring, or tools, to help them implement your feedback and achieve their goals.
When you identify a big gap is important to set up an action plan with this person. What's the things that he/she wants to improve and how?
Whether they have a big issue to fix or a small one, you have to show them it is okay to be struggling and that you have their back. Make them feel secure and put them out of stress so they can concentrate on improving skills rather than on fear of not achieving results and making mistakes. If they have a minor issue - give them practical knowledge on how to deal with that. It might be an exercise or information they need to learn to get the necessary experience. If the issue is major - divide it into smaller steps and execute as per the paragraph above