How coaching drives sales

- What's the difference between sales coaching and sales training? On the surface, they might seem like the same thing, yet there are actually some crucial differences between the two. Organizations spend millions upon millions of dollars tinkering with their sales training. They go from a three step sales process to a six step sales process, or they spend thousands of hours editing the decks to try to get the exact right words and process. And at the end of the day, more often than not, they don't get the improvement they hope for. Why is that? Well, there are two reasons. Traditional sales training often doesn't actually drive sales. First off, let's be honest, complex sales models are really hard to remember and they often don't hold up when you're in an interaction with an actual real live human customer. Secondly, sales training often fails to address things like mindset. Traditional training typically doesn't dive into intent, beliefs or resilience. It's just about skills. Sales coaching is different. Sales coaching is a strategic practice that delivers lasting value. It's not about forcing people to memorize complex models or script the perfect question. It's about over time, creating sellers who can authentically engage with customers and naturally talk about the value of your products and service in a really compelling way. So let's talk about intent. The concept of intent is the underpinning of excellent sales coaching. That's because intent drives behavior, which then produces the results. To be an effective sales coach, you have to shift the intent away from the traditional close it, close it, close it, and towards a more sustainable and ultimately more profitable intent. Understand the customer and figure out where you can add value. When you do that, you will grow revenue faster, you will retain customers longer and you will create more exceptional salespeople. Now, I hear that little pop-up window in your head right now. Isn't the intent for salespeople to close more business? Dial it back. Remember, deals follow positive intent. You will drive more business if you fuel your sales people with an intent to add value to customers. Yes, salespeople need parameters, they need models, guidelines and revenue goals. Your job as a sales coach is to help them connect with the right intent. You are the one who can help the sales person adopt the right intent because your coaching is happening on a regular basis. And unlike some artificial sales training, your coaching is immediately related to real life customers. Let me share a really important statistic with you. Did you know that upping the time you spend coaching from two hours a month to just over three hours a month increases a seller's ability to attain their goal by 17%? Whether you are out with reps in the field, role-playing on a Zoom call or giving some feedback on a proposal, your ability to coach your team and keep them pointed towards improving life for customers has a dramatic payoff on their performance and their confidence. The business case for sales coaching is clear, your job as a leader is to get out there and do it.