What Kind of Sales Coach Are You?

Some sales managers are so focused on their salespeople’s performance and their improvement that sometimes they lose sight that they too could benefit from some performance improvement. This may be true for you too.

The first step in your sales coaching improvement is identifying where you currently are with your sales coaching skills. To help you determine what to focus on to become a better sales coach, review the following list and rank how frequently you:

1. Do the majority of the talking during a sales coaching conversation

Never    Rarely    Sometimes    Always

2. Finish your salespeople’s sentences

Never    Rarely    Sometimes    Always

3. Give your opinion before your salespeople give theirs

Never    Rarely    Sometimes    Always

4. Tell your salespeople what to do

Never    Rarely    Sometimes    Always

5. Judge your salespeople’s behavior as good or bad (rather than part of a learning process)

Never    Rarely    Sometimes    Always

6. Rush sales coaching sessions

Never    Rarely    Sometimes    Always

7. Cancel sales coaching sessions

Never    Rarely    Sometimes    Always

8. Summarize your salespeople’s ideas for them

Never    Rarely    Sometimes    Always

9. Not demonstrate you are listening to your salespeople

Never    Rarely    Sometimes    Always

10. Not make time for sales coaching

Never    Rarely    Sometimes    Always

Look over your answers. Any insights about what you are doing that might be getting in the way of your sales coaching? Any areas of your coaching you want to improve?

Reflect on what you are doing that might be getting in the way and commit to improving one area of your sales coaching this week. At the end of the week, ask your sales team for feedback specific to the skill you are developing. This way you include them in your sales coaching improvement process. If they are like most teams, they will appreciate that you are committed to getting better and will delight in being part of your development.