Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Leadership Sales Coaching: Transforming from Manager to Coach
    Leadership Sales Coaching: Transforming from Manager to Coach
    Leadership Sales Coaching: Transforming from Manager to Coach
    Ebook349 pages2 hours

    Leadership Sales Coaching: Transforming from Manager to Coach

    By Jason Forrest

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Get ready to learn the purpose of a sales coach and to transform from a manager into a coach. In

    Leadership Sales Coaching, Jason shares the experience that comes with thousands of hours of seminars and coaching calls.

    Driven by the core philosophy that when beliefs are in line, the right behaviors follow, this book is a must-have for any sales manager looking to lead his or her sales team to the next level and develop sales professionals into the best version of themselves.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateJan 15, 2013
    ISBN9780988752320
    Leadership Sales Coaching: Transforming from Manager to Coach

    Read more from Jason Forrest

    Related to Leadership Sales Coaching

    Related ebooks

    Sales & Selling For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Strengthening Your Sales Management

      Jun 30, 2021

      1. Providing clarity and support • Is your team prepared for ongoing volatility and uncertainty in the months ahead?• Are your Managers adept at countering the emotional impacts of stress and its impact on productivity, for themselves and their teams

      2 min read

    • Article

      Strengthening Yourcompetitive Advantage

      Jun 30, 2021

      • Have you developed an up-to-date profit and loss statement?• Do you understand your current strengths and weaknesses?• Have you clearly articulated what needs to change in your organisation, and why?• Have you clearly mapped your change process? Ar

      2 min read

    • Article

      Improving Your Close Rate

      Mar 26, 2019

      Improving Your Close Rate
      2 min read

    • Article

      Simple Works

      Jun 17, 2018

      Simple Works
      2 min read

    • Article

      Choosing Sales Activity That Determines The Best Outcome

      May 27, 2019

      IN THE NEXT look at our “8 levers of sales growth” series I tackle the decision between doing more volume of sales activity generally or focusing on more targeted sales activity. It seems like a simple answer, but it isn’t always as obvious as you’d

      2 min read

    • Article

      Sales Volume Or Sales Value: Which Is Best For You?

      Jun 24, 2019

      IN THIS instalment of our ‘8 levers of sales growth’ series we tackle the decision between aiming for a greater volume of new sales versus increasing the value of each sale. In some respect, this decision comes down to how many new sales can your bus

      2 min read

    • Article

      Shaping Customer Success

      May 26, 2022

      Consider this: As the sales arm of your organisation, you’re making certain promises to your customers around what your solution can do for them and their company’s success. The problem is that too often, once a sale is made, implementation is handle

      2 min read

    • Article

      Level 4 Value Creation™

      Aug 9, 2017

      Are you experiencing a reduction of profit margins? Battling to differentiate your offering? Struggling to win new business? • Prospects who don’t understand your differentiation increasingly commoditise your offering • Not creating greater value exp

      1 min read

    • Article

      4 Deploy Stronger Value Propositions Within A Sales Organisation Maturity Framework

      Jun 30, 2021

      ThinkSales' Sales Organisation Maturity Framework Mature Sales Organisations are built on a state of optimisation that is agile and iterative. This is the path they follow. • Your Sales Organisation has not defined a ‘value-led’ proposition. In clien

      2 min read

    • Article

      Never Do This: Stop Changing

      Mar 15, 2022

      “When it comes to business (and life), never stop learning and iterating. The market is changing, your clients are changing, your competitors are changing. You have to change as well.” —Andrew McConnell, CEO of Rented ■

      1 min read

    • Article

      Cultural Importance

      Oct 21, 2018

      Cultural Importance
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Execution Trap

      Nov 2, 2016

      An obvious fact and one that is well-known to every executive tasked with growing revenue in their organisations is that it’s not getting any easier. And that is before we even begin to feel the potential impacts of Brexit, a Trump administration and

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Winning Edge Principle

      Jun 30, 2021

      The Winning Edge Principle
      1 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Leadership Sales Coaching

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Leadership Sales Coaching - Jason Forrest

      worth!

      STRATEGY ONE

      Lead, Don't Yield

      (PRINCIPLES 1 - 4)

      PRINCIPLE 1

      Remember Your Purpose

      Managers get lost in the details.

      Coaches remember their purpose.

      Think of the most influential people in your life: the coaches, teachers, and mentors who see more in you than you see in yourself. Chances are, there are one or two special people you'll always credit with pushing you—challenging you to achieve more than you thought possible. Get this: Now your job is to be that person to each of your team members. Why? Because the purpose of a coach is to lead sales professionals to do the things they don't want to do so they can earn what they want to earn.

      Big ticket sales professionals want to make big money. If they didn't, they wouldn't sign up for the gig. They know they're going to have to work harder than a Monday through Friday, fixed-income employee. They choose that course because they want to have unlimited earning potential.

      So why do they often fall short of their potential? The truth is that even though sales professionals want to make the money, they don't always know (or want to do) what it's going to take. In either case, a coach is there to lead them to do those uncomfortable things on a consistent basis so that they can earn what they want to earn.

      The toughest aspect of any leader is to get his or her people to exceed their own expectations. Why? Because every sales professional has a subconscious limit on what they believe they can achieve and what is possible in their given circumstances. Until Roger Bannister broke it in 1954, the four-minute mile was considered impossible for runners. As soon as Bannister demonstrated that it was possible, others quickly followed suit. The truth is, people made it impossible because of their beliefs. They defended its impossibility adamantly. When people are locked on to a particular belief, they will do whatever they need to do in order to live up to that. They will even get defensive when they are challenged. Once sales professionals reach what they believe is possible, they stop.

      When people don't do what they need to do in order to earn what they're worth, it's because of one or more of the following:

      1. They don't know how (on a logical/ behavioral level).

      2. They don't know why they should do it and/or lack confidence that they are capable (on a beliefs level).

      3. They have a reluctance/fear (on an emotional level) that keeps them from doing the appropriate behavior.

      4. They've had past or current conditioning from coaches, parents, significant others, cultural influences, or educators (on a programming level).

      This is why they need you to lead them toward personal growth and self-efficacy. It's not as easy (for you or for them) as saying, Here's what I need you to do and then leaving them alone to do it. Most human beings just aren't wired to achieve their potential by themselves. Along with instruction, they need follow-through, accountability, and maintenance.

      Remember that you're dealing with their past coaching, fears, programming, support systems at home, etc. It's a challenge. But because it's a challenge, it's also extremely rewarding.

      Remember that your purpose is bigger than just getting strong sales results. This is a key that will guide you through frustrating times. Sometimes, it's going to seem like people just aren't getting it. Sometimes, it's going to seem like team members aren't interested in exceeding their own expectations. But it all becomes worth it when even one person's life is more fulfilled because of you. When you start to have those successes, you'll be able to say, Okay, I'll take the rest of the crap. It all becomes worth it with one good success.

      You want to improve your life. Your sales pros want to improve theirs. Tap into that desire because if you can lead them to get what they want out of this career, then you yourself will get what you want out of it. As you challenge yourself with the ideas and tasks ahead, think, How can I improve life for myself or my family?

      This stuff matters. But it ain't easy. In order to have those moments, you've got to be a coach who leads sales professionals, maintains the coaching, and creates self-assurance.

      Every principle from here on out is about you achieving that purpose. Ultimately, that purpose comes down to improving lives. You will be the difference.

      Reflection

      1. Who in your life would you credit with investing in you and believing in you?

      2. What attributes do/did they have that made you realize they truly cared about you?

      3. Who on your team do you feel most needs someone to invest in them? Or, who has the most to gain from your investment?

      4. What obstacles are in your way of fulfilling your purpose as a sales coach?

      5. Why is the toughest aspect for any leader getting people to exceed their own expectations?

      6. Think back on pursuits you've had (maybe sports or music) where a belief system limited what you thought was possible. Were you able to break from that? Why or why not?

      Action Items

      1. Do you agree or disagree with the description for your role?

      2. Write three specific examples of how you can fulfill that purpose this week.

      3. Invest in your people!

      Additional Reading

      Management Challenges of the 21st Century, by Peter Drucker

      People Principle, by Ron Willingham

      PRINCIPLE 2

      Be a Sales Pro First

      A manager says, Because I said so.

      A coach sells the idea, belief, or behavior.

      In order to sell, you must understand your customer's desire to improve their life on a functional and emotional level, solve that desire on a functional and emotional level, and hold them accountable to earning what they're worth. If that's what selling is, then you've gotta see yourself as a sales pro first. The old idea is that if you're a great sales professional, you can't be a great sales coach. But I don't see it that way at all. The only difference is the product you're selling. As a sales coach, your products are the beliefs, behaviors, and solutions you want to pass along to your sales professionals.

      In situations with your team members, go back to your instincts as a sales pro. When you feel like you're in a jam, ask yourself, If this sales professional were a customer with an objection, how would I get them to see it my way? To compromise?

      Just do it. Don't over think it. What you did as a sales pro or what you teach your sales pros is exactly the process to use when selling your ideas, beliefs, philosophies, techniques, etc.

      What if your sales pro gives you the cold shoulder or is combative? Think of them like a just looking buyer. Well, whaddya do in that case? You break the ice. You start with finding out what they're looking for. You show value by teaching them things they haven't thought about. Just like a sales pro, you've gotta get over yourself and be comfortable being uncomfortable.

      Remember that a customer says she's just looking because she doesn't believe the sales pro can lead her. So you, the sales pro, just have to prove that you can indeed provide the leadership and advice she needs to move forward. You know what happens next—the prospect who was just looking turns into an interested buyer.

      So you approach a sales pro and she comes across as standoffish. Well, she's never had a coach add value to her day/process. Her experience tells her that you're a waste of her time and energy. Well, that's a customer.

      So you gotta get them to warm up to you and teach them something new. Whatever they're working on, think, I have to get them to tell me about it so I can add value. Ask them about a customer they haven't been able to close and what objections they're having a hard time handling.

      Jump in and engage. You'll earn the respect you're asking for. Just like any sales pro, you're not entitled for them to want to spend time with you. Get over yourself.

      A sale is made when you close the buyer. You've got to close the sales pro on the advice you offer. It's not just understanding what they're trying to accomplish and solving it. It's also closing (resolving) them on the advice so they agree, then following up to find out if it worked for them.

      Your sales pros are your customers. You wouldn't pressure people into buying something if they didn't see the value. You know in that case they'll just regret their decision and/or cancel later. Just the same, you must sell your sales pros on the benefit of change so that they don't cancel (by not believing and following through).

      If you came from being a sales pro, then you are already a coach. You just need to change how you see coaching. You are a sales pro first and foremost. Don't tell your people to do something because you're the boss...sell them on it.

      Reflection

      1. What are some specific objections that your sales professionals have given you when it comes to you being their leader?

      2. Right now, can you think of sales pros who have not done something you've asked them to do? Note: If so, it means you haven't sucessfully closed them.

      3. Now knowing that you're a sales pro first, write out a conversation/script to understand what their objectives are, then present your solution to them. Close them on that solution.

      4. Extract objections. If you're a leader who will influence your team, you'll jump in the fire of the objection.

      Action Items

      1. Embrace conflict this week and every time you give advice to sales pros on something that will improve them.

      2. Ask specific questions, such as, What is holding you back to locking on and doing this 100% of the time?

      3. It's the same advice I tell sales professionals: Your biggest competitor is the conversation you're not present to—whatever they think and say after you leave. Dig deep to find out what they really feel about it so you know that they're not going to smile, nod, and then leave saying it was a waste of time.

      If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.

      —Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

      PRINCIPLE 3

      Master the Sales Process

      A manager knows what to do.

      A coach knows why they're doing it.

      Back in the day, people pursued mastery—maybe in an art they had a natural talent or interest in or a trade passed through the generations. In anything from shoe cobbling to martial arts, people strove to be the best and took pride in their work. In the age of factories and mass production, we have lost the need to have such specific skills in trades. Thus, the mark of excellence comes as a swoosh symbol instead of a row of precise, handmade stitches.

      But whatever our pursuit, there is still a joy in being better today than yesterday. There is still a personal satisfaction that comes with striving each day to reach your potential—whether as a street sweeper, a sales professional, or a sales coach. We need to have that kind of approach to the art and science of

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1