“The Great Coach” by Steve Chriest This is the second in the series of “Good, Great, and Extraordinary coaches.” If it's true that there are too few sales managers who are also good coaches, there are far fewer sales managers who are also great coaches. That makes sense, given the characteristics all great coaches share in common. The good coach is adept at teaching the fundamentals of his or his discipline. In sales, the great coach, like the good coach, is an effective teacher who teaches and reinforces the fundamentals of selling. What makes them great coaches is their knack for recognizing talent and potential in their team members that many others simply don't see, their ability to motivate their sales teams, and their communication skills. A sales manager who is also a great coach, for example, may see that while a team member is reluctant to prospect for new business, he exhibits great ability to capitalize on any opportunity that comes his way. The manager who is a great coach knows that it is folly to manage to a person's weaknesses. Great coaches know the words of Sun Tze, who wrote in The Art of Wa r: “Do not charge people to do what they cannot do. Select them and give them responsibilities commensurate with their abilities.” The sales manager who acts as a great coach will figure out the strengths of each team member and help them to develop these strengths to improve their performance. The sales manager who is a great coach is also a master motivator. Once he uncovers the key, personal drivers of each team member, he is a master at using that information to steer the team members toward great performance. He knows that when people sense a clear, personal benefit in any activity, they are likely to pursue that activity with vigor, enthusiasm and determination. Finally, like all great coaches, the sales manager who is a great coach is a great communicator. He is always brutally honest with the members of his team. His assessments of individual performances, and his evaluation of a team member's potential, are direct, honest and emphatic. Recognizing the paramount importance of the team, and respectful of individual needs, he clearly communicates what contributions are needed from each team member, and the consequences of failure to deliver those contributions. Next week we will examine what extraordinary coaches share in common and what sales managers can do to develop themselves into extraordinary coaches of their sales teams. Copyright © 2006 Selling Up TM . All Rights Reserved. About the author: Steve Chriest is the founder of Selling Up TM ( www.selling-up.com ), a sales consulting firm specializing in sales improvement for organizations of all types and sizes in a variety of industries. He is also the author of Selling Up , The Proven System for Reaching and Selling Senior Executives. You can reach Steve at schriest@selling-up.com . To view the first in the series, “The Good Coach:” |
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