By Geoff Wade - Onirik

It seems to be a commonly held truth in the sales community that sales manager coaching of frontline staff is critical for success. Some of the supporting evidence for this claim appears in the research, is written about in the classic sales literature, and is reflected in the inclusion of coaching modules in some of the globally acclaimed sales processes like Friedman, SPIN, Cohen Brown, and Omega.

But much of the coaching literature and coaching processes present one coaching strategy and focus the sales managers attention on results or what is often called the ‘deficient statistic’. The central theme of coaching appears to be setting goals and comparing results to target. While I agree that it is necessary to have a target so you know the direction in which you are heading, the performance standards that are required and how you are tracking towards your target, I sincerely believe that goals are mismanaged in the bulk of coaching.

If you have a top performer then you can manage by results. A top performer already knows the skills that are necessary in order to succeed. They would not be a top performer if this were not true. But the top performers only make up approximately 15% of your sales force. So how does one manage the rest when they do not have or do not know the skills that are necessary for success?

You need a different strategy for average performers. You improve the bulk of your low and medium performers by coaching for behaviour. It is necessary to teach these people the skills that they require for success.

This is not as easy as it sounds. Most of us cloud our observation of behaviour with judgment and categorization. For example one of your salespeople may have great enthusiasm and belief in your products. As a consequence you may hear them interrupt a client and talk about your products at the same time that the client is talking or attempting to talk about a need.

Often the way this situation is handled by a sales manager goes like this. The salesperson is told that they are rude, lack of basic courtesy or lack basic manners. Such a response is a complete judgement call. All we really know is that the salesperson (in this one context) spoke when the client was speaking. In other contexts they may listen before responding. So the huge generalisation embodied in the sales manager’s observation is unjustified and erroneous (and very de-motivational).

So a key skill for any coach or sales manager is the capacity to observe and describe observed behaviour and desired behaviour. And to provide feedback in what we call sensory-based terms. By sensory-based I mean describing what you see and what you hear and what you feel (in the example above one possible feedback could be to ask the salesperson wait until the client finishes speaking, think about what the client has said, and then respond appropriately) without categorizing or using terms of judgment.

Two other patterns make a really make a big difference in coaching. The first is to praise for desired or successful behaviours at least four times of more often than providing feedback for unwanted or missing behaviour. This element reinforces the behaviours you want, locks them in, and is highly motivational.

The second is to avoid what we call the ‘sandwich technique’. Sandwiching is where one praises a salesperson for a desired behaviour and then immediately follows with either the word ‘and’ or the word ‘but’ and criticism or feedback around some deficient or missing behaviour. It is important to separate a criticism and praise. Praise is best given at the same time a successful behaviour is observed or immediately afterwards. Criticism or feedback is best given immediately before a new task starts (for example just before you go into a sales call) with a description of the sort of behaviour that you want the salesperson to try in place of what they have done in the past.

Coaching can have a huge impact on performance. So, remember the four basics. Coach your top performers by results and medium performers by behaviour. Focus on observed behaviour – describe it and avoid categorising it or naming the behaviour. Separate praise and feedback. Provide praise when you see desired behaviours four times more often than you provide feedback.

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Geoff Wade is the Sales & Marketing Director of Onirik Pty Ltd. Onirik is a team of professionals focus on business value and measurable outcomes, as the reason for our clients to listen to Onirik. Onirik, together with their partner Brava, helps their clients get fast and lasting quantum leap improvements in revenue and margins. Onirik conducts research in selling skills, management, coaching, motivational leadership, the psychology of persuasion, effective business processes, and negotiation. They help clients implement the practical applications of the research and of NLP in sales, service, and management.

Web: www.onirik.com.au
Email: geoff.wade@onirik.com.au
Phone: +61 (2) 9004 7810