10 Steps to running a successful team coaching session

The conversations happening on the sales floor offer us the most valuable training material available and reps love to know what techniques are working well for their teammates. Listening to a sales call as a group is a great way to highlight the talent in the team and learn together. Read on for 10 steps to making it successful. 

1. Have a consistent time on the calendar

Reps need to prepare for team coaching. Having a regular slot allows them to develop the habit of preparing to contribute to each session.

Select a slot that’s not peak selling time and not during a ‘close’ period, when the team isn’t hungry or tired. Running these as breakfast sessions are great. It utilizes downtime, everyone's fresh and no one’s hungry. Coaching each other over breakfast also creates a less formal atmosphere and starts the day in a positive way. 

2. Get the group size right

It’s important to have the right number of people in the group so the rep under the spotlight feels like a hero. If the group’s too big the rep may feel like they’re under interrogation or the team may feel uncomfortable speaking up to give feedback. It needs to feel safe, so somewhere between 4 and 6 team members is a good amount. 

3. Consider the ability of the group

Think about the group dynamic based on the experience and ability of your team so it’s time well spent for each rep. Getting new starters learning together, bringing together a team selling a new product or one entering a new market are great options.

Including 1 or 2 experienced team members per group is important. Having senior reps active in coaching speeds up learning across the team. It makes a powerful statement when you’re a team that wins together, no matter where you are on your journey. We all had a first day, first cold call, and first web demo with someone behind us providing support.

4. Every rep must have their turn under the spotlight

This isn’t just about learning different things from different people, it’s about every rep showing a willingness to put themself in a vulnerable place and admit they’re not perfect, who is? We are more likely to pay attention to feedback from people who are equally happy to receive it. There's got to be balance, so every rep needs to have their turn in the spotlight. This gives them permission to contribute and be heard by their teammates. 

5. Selecting the right call to review

Set the focus area for training, whether it be on a particular part of the sales process or product, etc. The best scenario is never having to pick out a sales call, but to create a team spirit where reps willingly share a call with the group with the intention of helping their teammates. This overshadows any fear of not being good enough.

Make sure your reps know how to communicate why they selected a particular call to review. Get the rep to own the strengths and weaknesses in their performance before they’ve entered the coaching session, it makes them feel good. For example:

‘We should listen to this discovery call as I think it was a good example of how I managed questions around price, but i’d love feedback on how I dealt with our value vs the competition as I feel I could have done better there’ 

6. Preparation time

The most valuable part of the coaching session is the discussion. The team needs time to prepare for each session by listening to the call, documenting their feedback and highlighting the sections of the call worth listening to.

Make sure the call is shared with your team well in advance of each session allowing them sufficient time to do so. Then you’re able to spend 80% of the coaching session in discussion mode and 20% in listening mode rather than the other way round.

It also means your team can listen to the call at a time and place that works for them as well as listen to it twice if needed. Having everyone listen to the call before the session also helps keeps the training short and sweet. 

7. Make sure everyone knows what they’re looking for in the call

Everyone needs to know what to ‘assess’ the call against. You might have a framework for what ‘good’ looks like at each part of the sales process or a simple breakdown of how to navigate a sales demo. It doesn't really matter how in depth or simple, what’s important is that the team is aligned in what they’re looking for in the call.

8. Have the team share their positive takeaways from the call

Team coaching should be a positive experience. Begin the session with each team member sharing what they learned from the call and how listening to it has helped them. Reps pick up on different things, so the conversation draws attention to a great learning moment another rep may well have missed. 

9. Allow the rep in the spotlight to own their weaker areas

It’s much easier to own and point out your weaker areas than have someone tell you what you did wrong in front of a whole group of people. Allow the call owner to invite advice and feedback from the group by sharing the areas they thought they could improve. They might say, “I thought I could have handled the question on pricing structure better, can you give me some tips on what you might have done differently?’

Group coaching should never be a humiliating experience. 

10. Recognition

Don’t forget to publicly recognize the rep under the spotlight. The thank you reinforces how important collaboration and learning together is within the team. It is more likely to encourage reps to feel confident and willing to get involved. 

I hope this helps