Selling is a sport. It requires behavioral and methodological skills and demands perseverance. An external perspective through a coach (most often, the sales manager themselves) allows you to reconnect with performance and/or improve an already established sales technique: we have observed a 20 to 40% improvement in the results of sales representatives following the implementation of on-the-ground coaching.
Why is this type of support in real-world situations essential to your teams' success? What involvement does it require from you as a Manager or Sales Director? And above all, how can you make it successful in order to reap all the benefits? Here, we provide you with some keys to success based on our field coaching assignments.
1- Field sales coaching must be integrated into the company's recurring practices
In a manager's role, field sales coaching should be a major practice. It is indeed the only way for a sales manager to be in touch with the practices of their sales teams "in real life", but also with the reality they face on a daily basis: that of their customers' expectations. In terms of management, this is an essential complement to the monitoring of quantified indicators and the reporting carried out by the sales representatives themselves, and enables much better results to be achieved.
To do this, field coaching must be established, almost "automated," with regular check-ins and follow-up appointments. Field coaching should not be used on an ad hoc basis, but rather as part of an ongoing process to provide the most beneficial effects.
Also, be aware of strong reactions if coaching is only "sprinkled" occasionally. Some salespeople may tend not to accept this coaching, potentially perceived as a "punishment" if it is not integrated into the company's logical processes. Out of ego, and fear of external scrutiny, rejection reactions are common. These are limited if the support is presented as an advantage offered to all (see the next point), and not as a patch in case of underperformance.
2- Coaching should apply to all salespeople
The mistake made by many companies is to "reserve" sales coaching for only some of the sales representatives. However, this support is for everyone. Whether it's someone in the process of integrating into the company, a sales representative who is well-established and achieving good results, or someone experiencing a slump, coaching can and should support them all in their mission.
But what's the point of supporting the best? Isn't there a risk of over-qualification? Remember that some salespeople are good because they have genuinely good practices and solid experience, but others may show good performance thanks to a combination of factors and a significant amount of luck.
Personalized coaching aims to identify the influence of these irrational and unknown factors, to build upon already excellent performance with solid and lasting elements.
Even the best need a coach! Take Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world, as an example. He uses a coach because he knows he must do everything to maintain his excellent performance level and even improve in certain areas. He leaves nothing to chance.
This also applies to sales representatives. Supporting an already good sales representative will help them confirm their strengths and work on their areas of difficulty, helping them become even better.
Coaching is therefore not only there to point out areas for improvement, but it also serves to develop the confidence and commitment of the people being supported. A true HR tool!
3- Coaching isn't there to help you "win" deals... at least not immediately! 😉
Sales coaching involves helping someone progress, regardless of the outcome of a sales meeting or a negotiation. The goal is to capitalize on what is seen and heard, exchange ideas, and find ways to improve. Whether the order is secured or not is secondary here… unlike pure sales support, which is when a manager supports an employee to help them win a contract.
Don't get the wrong objective. When you are in a coaching approach, disconnect from the commercial aspect and the purpose of the order. Bringing back the contract is not the priority in this context! Not always obvious: you will attend appointments that go badly without being able to intervene, and therefore potentially lose business... Difficult and frustrating? Yes, but that's precisely what will allow you to identify the mistakes made by a salesperson to prevent them from happening again!
You have to accept losing a deal and missing an appointment, to be able to give your salesperson the means to win the next 10 deals alone!
Do you find it hard to stay calm and not intervene? You need to work on yourself to remain in observation, because intervening at this stage would be counterproductive and would disrupt the coaching.
4- Coaching must have a specific objective
Before achieving tangible results and providing relevant solutions to salespeople's needs, coaching must have a specific objective. This could involve improving their sales pitch, refining client interactions, or enhancing physical presence. Regardless, it's crucial to communicate the goals to achieve and the areas that will be observed with the salesperson beforehand. Without this clarity, they may feel globally evaluated.
Furthermore, we need to move away from the classic evaluation scheme with the post-visit report that lists the negatives and the good points. There are techniques for better exchange, initiating discussion and prompting questioning. Delivering what is wrong all at once does not help a person become aware of their faults and correct them. It is essential to question a person properly to get them to express knowledge.
5- Coaching must be a long-term commitment
Coaching must be integrated into a continuous process (which relates to our first point) and, to that end, leave a trace. It is important to formalize observations in writing and record them in a reference document. This will serve as a common thread to track the evolution of objectives over time, and remind everyone of the progress of the support. Because words fly away but writings remain, take the time necessary for this step. This will also allow you to measure the progress made and to evaluate the scope and results of this support over time, which represents a real investment. So it's not a waste of time, on the contrary!
This is also an important point for the motivation of the sales representative, who can refer to the elements put down on paper: not only will they be able to recall the concepts discussed, but they will also have the satisfaction of seeing that they benefit from real follow-up and genuine involvement from their manager in order to succeed.
And how do you help your sales representatives achieve their goals?
Did you know that 95% of your success is linked to your state of mind? To learn how to manage your emotional load more effectively, discover the Triad method in this webinar:
The KESTIO consultants-trainers are experts in commercial excellence:
- Train managers in field coaching
- They coach the sales representatives themselves in the field
To learn more about our methods and benefit from feedback on their results, feel free to register for a free session with one of our experts:
