All of the selling expertise and “rah-rah” sales rallies in the world don’t mean a thing unless you can convert this knowledge into skill by getting yourself a sales coach.
Ego costs the average salesperson more than all the fast cars and fancy clothes put together. It’s been said that the worst enemy in sales is Arrogance — and boy, does that come through with some successful salespeople! They “know it all.” Really?
Let’s take a look at the top performers in other big-pay areas of life. In football, NFL teams have a coach — in fact, one for almost every position: A quarterback coach, line coach, defensive coach, offensive coach. I think the water boy has a coach!
Watch world-class tennis stars hammering it out in center court at the U.S. Open. Every two minutes the TV cameras go to the stands and do a close-up of their coach. Athletes have coaches. Opera singers have coaches. Actors have coaches. What about salespeople? Nah, they already know it all!
If you want to increase your income and your closing ratio, think about hiring a coach. Here’s a fact: Salespeople get away with all kinds of mistakes because there’s no one watching them! After all, how many buyers will call a company and say, “Boy, you’ve got some lousy sales rep calling on me. Get them outta here!”
So you need a watcher, a coach, an on-site critic — preferably a competent salesperson you know who will accompany you on sales calls. Oh, and tell you the truth. Here’s what to do:
Recruit a coach who understands that selling is a process. You can’t coach chaos; you can’t develop selling skills without knowing and following the disciplines of selling.
To make each coaching call effective, first define your strategic objectives for your coach so you’re both on the same page; clearly describe the strategy you plan to use and the techniques you intend to use to achieve your call objective.
When you arrive at the sales call, introduce your coach casually: “This is Jack Colligan; he’s working with me today,” and then proceed to make your presentation. Chances are that the client won’t give your “day visitor” a second look.
Have your coach take a position out of the prospect’s frame of vision where they can observe both you and the prospect. Have them remain silent throughout the sales call.
After the call, do a complete “autopsy” of the call — everything from the moment you entered the premises through the exit. Dissect it like a jeweler taking a watch apart; study every move. Listen to your coach. Don’t debate. Accept their comments and learn from them. How do you think you did in achieving your objectives? What did you do well? What could you improve? Have your coach give you feedback on the objectives you and they set before the call. This autopsy should take about 2 ½ times as long as the actual call.
Now, go make your second call and repeat the process: You either will or won’t achieve your objective. This is called practice — like an NFL quarterback or PGA golfer. Move on to your next call and try again. Three coaching calls in one day should give you plenty to learn and think about.
Plan to get coaching on an ongoing basis. Like the pros, you’ll become a true student of your profession — not just another doofus walking around day by day repeating the same small mistakes that you aren’t even aware of. All pros accept help.
Finally, remember Peter Drucker’s observation, “The greatest knowledge that doesn’t result in action is meaningless data!”