Coaching conversations

11th October 2023 |   Donald Howieson

My Coaching Promise ensures sales professionals have better sales conversations.

Coaching conversations

In today’s hybrid world of both face-to-face and virtual customer conversations, ensuring the best of the limited time we get with customers is paramount. I find it odd that it’s taken for granted that sports professionals have multiple coaches, yet sales professionals struggle to get time with their managers, who in my experience at best provide limited coaching. Rarely do sales professionals have the opportunity for coaching outside of their sales manager and mostly rely on peers to support them. A good sales coach supports the self-improvement journey for any sales professional. The role of every sales manager is to coach their sales team. But how many have the time, experience or confidence to coach? The challenge with sales coaching is the same as any kind of coaching:

  • Perceiving that you have seen the situation before;
  • Being in a hurry;
  • Immediately jumping to advice; and
  • Giving the wrong advice or providing advice without understanding the details.

A delicate situation

Given this, what would you do if your biggest customer, having acquired your competitor, forbid you to attend the annual conference where all your end-users are present?