5 high-payoff sales coaching activities

The consulting team at EcSell Institute identified five concrete and specific interactions that managers should consistently carry out that promote greater sales performance by the members of their sales team. Their findings, presented in a white paper that is available under the resources tab at ecsellinstitute.com, are based on over 80,000 coaching interactions from sales manager to sales person.

1.  One-to-One Meetings

EcSell research suggests these meetings be conducted on a monthly or more frequent basis. Both personal and business elements can and should be discussed during these meetings. Use a consistent format. Topics covered should include:

  • Personal updates
  • Activity/goal/pipeline updates
  • Customer/prospect updates
  • Where they need help

2.  Sales call evaluation (SCE)

The purpose of a SCE is to allow the sales coach and the sales rep to discuss what took place during a sales call encounter with a client. By doing so, sales reps gain insight into what they did well and where they can/should improve during their client interactions.

3.  Joint call plans (JCP)

There are many useful outcomes of a well-prepared JCP, such as understand­ing the role the manager and rep will each take during the interaction, what information to bring to the table, and establishment of the outcome desired from the interaction.

4.  Career discussions

These discussions allow the manager to better understand the mindset and motivations of the team member. Doing so allows the manager to match future professional, personal, and general developmental opportunities that encourage sales rep engagement in and satisfaction with the work.

5.  Team meetings

The main purpose of these interactions is to promote communication and a sense of connectedness between individuals working toward the same goal. High-payoff team meetings should be collaborative and engaging where all parties give and receive.

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