Take the X-ray – Revealing the Power of Goal Setting in Sales Coaching

Goals are a central element to coaching success, and the salesperson and coach must work together to identify and pursue goals if they are to achieve success.

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GOALS DRIVE COACHING

Salespeople typically fit into one of two discipline sets: goal setters or problem solvers.

The goal setters design the success they are committed to achieving and grow in the direction of the goals they continuously pursue. The problem solvers follow a career of default, using the problems they solve as a catalyst for whatever growth they expect to experience in their professional life.

Study after study has shown that less than 20% of all salespeople are goal setters. This elite group generally outperforms and out earns the other group. Understand what that means: the combined income of the 20% who set goals is predictably and consistently greater than that of the 80% who don’t—combined!

In a way, it’s not that surprising that the income figures break down the way they do. Goal setting is difficult and requires unconditional commitment as well as a strategic mindset. For most salespeople who aren’t already in that 20% group, it requires a coach who is willing to conduct a sales X-ray session to determine what’s really going on—and why.

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THE VISION FACTOR

High-performing salespeople typically find a way to see the result of their selling efforts clearly—ahead of time. Vision is the starting point, the first link in the success chain, followed by mission and strategy. These three areas must be determined prior to the salesperson beginning the goal-setting process. Otherwise, the coach will not be able to help the salesperson make progress toward accomplishing the goals.

Here's an example of what that chain might look like for an individual salesperson.

·????? Vision: a picture of success the salesperson sees in their mind. To become the best salesperson in the industry.

·????? Mission: the pre-established objective of the vision. To master the Sandler strategies and tactics and better control the results of sales calls.

·????? Strategy: a specific plan to accomplish the mission over a defined period of time. To develop a behavior cookbook focusing on the top 10 selling behaviors. Goals: the end to which all effort is directed. To accomplish specific key behavior indicators (KBIs) that will yield the results needed to succeed.

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SMART GOALS

The goal-setting process is the typical beginning for any successful coaching encounter. It requires an environmental scan, analogous to an X-ray or magnetic resonance image, analyzing the internal strengths and weaknesses of the salesperson. The coach must be able to fully understand the salesperson’s goals and create a success track to measure their accomplishment. This success track becomes a roadmap that all coaching sessions influence and fuels the salesperson’s passion, beginning with anticipation and ending with achievement.

The coach’s first job is to help the salesperson set realistic goals, using the SMART principle (simple, measurable, attainable, realistic given the salesperson's available resources, and timebound) to assess and refine goals and develop an exact timeline for achieving them. The establishment of realistic goals is an anchor for all successful coaching sessions. It is non-negotiable because it develops mutual understanding between the coach and salesperson as well as creating an outcome that has the salesperson's commitment. Note that the goal must be something the salesperson is deeply and personally invested in attaining. It is not something the coach simply dictates.

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THE BOTTOM LINE

The success of sales coaching hinges on the collaborative effort between the coach and salesperson to set and pursue SMART goals, a process that not only aligns with the salesperson's vision, mission, and strategy, but also significantly enhances their performance and earning potential. This goal-oriented approach is essential in transforming salespeople from mere problem solvers into high achievers who consistently outperform their peers.

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