To be a successful sales manager and increase sales you must learn how to effectively perform curbside coaching.
Every sales call presents “lessons to be learned”. Salespeople who learn these lessons best develop their capabilities and improve their performance. Those who don’t or can’t learn the lessons find themselves doomed to mediocrity or failure.
Your job as a manager is to make sure your salespeople benefit from each call they make. The best way to do this is during the post-call coaching session, sometimes called “curbside coaching.”
When to Do It?
The best time to give feedback is immediately after the call. At this time, the details of the call are still fresh in your mind and the mind of the salesperson.
However, there are times when you can’t immediately curbside coach. If this is the case, be sure to jot your thoughts down on paper so you can discuss at a later time.
What Should a Coaching Session Accomplish?
The obvious answers are for the salesperson to recognize what they right and understand ways to improve. However, there are several other objectives that the session should achieve.
Have the salesperson:
• Assess the extent the salesperson achieved the call objectives
• Recognize what factors favorably influenced the outcome of the call
• Recognize what factors negatively influenced the outcome of the call
• Identify other actions that could have made the call more effective
• Determine what follow up actions are needed
The coaching session should also enable you to:
• Assess the salesperson’s ability in planning, implementing and analyzing a sales call
• Reinforce the salesperson’s strengths
• Identify areas for you to work with the salesperson
• Improve your relationship with the salesperson
• Gain insight into the types of issues your salesperson is confronting in the field
Salespeople need coaching to be at the top of their game. Invest the time after every call to develop your salespeople and increase sales with curbside coaching.