When you decide to take your family on vacation, does it matter what they think about the location? If you coach golf and you have a new student, on the first instruction day is it important to watch a person swing before you begin teaching a lesson? Does it help to know your student’s objectives so you can customize their approach to the game?
Of course, the answer is, “Yes” to all of these!
It’s the same with those who coach any sport or every salesperson.
Knowing your people begins the best way to start coaching a new salesperson or a sales team. Every great coach knows this is the first step of the best coaching system – Know Your People.
This will make you more powerful as a coach. It will elevate a person respect for you, because you seek to understand them and their motivation before asking them to do something for you. You also learn about the nuances of their personalities and how to adjust yours to develop rapport when coaching.
To get do Know Your People, find the answers to these nine questions:
- What is their sales and communication style preference?
- How urgent are they in reaching deadlines?
- What type of recognition do they want? Are they competitive?
- What is their #1 motivation?
- What are the 3 most important things in their life and how do they relate to income?
- What is their Lifestyle income goal (not survival), but income goal to better their lives?
- How many sales will they need to make each month?
- How many quotes and appointments will they need to have each month
- How do they want you to help them?
But, how do you get this information? What tools do you use?
- Sales Profile Traits, Sales Style and Coaching Reports from the CTS SalesProfile™
- Foundation Interview (a set of questions to get to know them, their needs and motivations)
- Survival/Lifestyle goal setting sheet (the budgeting math to know their sales income goal)
- Income to sales to quotes to appointments conversion sheet (sales and activity planner)
You and the new salesperson also need to know the answers to these questions about the standards for a salesperson on your team.
- What do you expect top salespeople to earn and sell?
- What do you expect average salespeople to earn and sell?
- What are your minimum standards for a salesperson to keep their position?
Knowing this information helps you communicate better and build an inspiring environment for the new salesperson on your team. It helps you and them know the personal reasons why specific goals they set are important. It builds trust and understanding of needs, motivating reasons, existing standards and what’s important activities to track on a monthly sales board. It’s the best way to begin coaching a new salesperson. Do these things before you get out on the playing field with any rep and you will coaching better from the start and give them their best change for success.