The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

When a new salesperson starts to struggle, what's the right move?

For most sales managers, the instinct is to lean in harder: more oversight, more correction, more involvement. And that instinct makes sense. You care about results. You're accountable for the number. You don't want your new hire to fail.

But in this episode of Improving Sales Performance, Matt draws a clear line between two very different approaches and explains why crossing it can quietly undermine the very thing you're trying to build.

In media sales, top talent is developed, not found.

The 6th Annual Media Sales Report reveals a consistent theme across high-performing teams: intentional learning and development. But while salespeople crave growth, most organizations still struggle to deliver it consistently.

Here’s what the data from the Learning & Development section of the report tells us, and what sales leaders must do to bridge the performance gap.

As a sales manager, your role in guiding your team through the initial Connect phase of the sales process is crucial.

At The Center for Sales Strategy, the connection phase is an integral part of our comprehensive sales process, known as the Sales Accelerator. This process is designed to align with the modern buying journey and includes six critical steps: Identify, Connect, Discover, Advise, Close, and Grow.

The Connect phase focuses on using insights to develop a compelling reason for engagement and build rapport with potential customers. By mastering this phase, sellers can establish trust and credibility, making it easier to move prospects through the subsequent stages of the sales process. It is all about establishing meaningful connections with prospects, and it sets the foundation for a successful sales journey.

Here are some effective coaching ideas to help your team excel in this critical phase:

In this Quick Take episode, we’re exploring the undeniable power of sales coaching, the challenges of traditional approaches, and how AI-powered solutions are setting a new standard for skill development. 

On the other side of this brief episode, you’ll see how AI sales coaching truly can elevate the game of your sellers.

The Power of Consistent Sales Coaching

There are no two ways about it: sales coaching is helpful for driving performance in any sales team. Its benefits are well-documented, with consistent coaching leading to improvements in both individual and team productivity.

While training alone can boost sales production by 20-30%, integrating regular coaching and practice can amplify this impact fourfold, reaching an 80% improvement.

This transformative power is essential for sales leaders focused on not just meeting but exceeding revenue targets. By fostering an environment of continuous development, sales coaching enhances not only skills but also confidence and customer relationships, laying the foundation for sustained success.

As a sales leader, one of your most critical tasks is to elevate the performance of your team members. Turning a C player into a B+ player requires a blend of effective coaching techniques, skill development, and motivational strategies. With the integration of AI, this process can be streamlined and enhanced, providing personalized support and actionable insights. Here’s how you can achieve this transformation by incorporating AI.

Previously this season, we explored how AI is transforming the world of sales coaching. Today, in this episode, we’re diving a bit deeper into that topic by chatting with two incredible guests from the AI coaching platform, Yoodli. 

Think for a moment about a manager in your career who made you a better professional. 

What was it about them that helped you grow and uplevel? 

While they surely had some expertise to share, no doubt it was their ability and commitment to give you their attention and coaching.

Leveraging technology to gain a competitive edge is not just advantageous; it's essential. AI-powered communication coaching is at the forefront of this transformation, offering sales teams a revolutionary way to enhance their performance.

By integrating artificial intelligence into sales training, organizations can provide their teams with personalized, data-driven insights that traditional methods simply can't match.

Successful leaders coach.

Period.

It’s a skill that is absolutely necessary to succeed in sales and sales leadership. Sellers who don’t receive coaching and feedback get off track, pursuing the wrong leads, prioritizing the wrong activities, and focusing on the wrong goals.

In contrast, sellers who receive good coaching tend to stay on track, finding and connecting with strong prospects, focusing on potential, and realized key accounts, meeting and exceeding their goals.

And leaders who receive ongoing training on improving their interpersonal, business, and leadership skills have teams everyone wants to be a part of.

Not all leaders are natural coaches, but all leaders can learn how to coach.