The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Think for a minute about the very best leader you ever had. Then, think about the worst.

Likely, you have definite feelings on both. How did you feel when you moved on from the job with that very best leader?

You probably had second thoughts and wondered if you could have made that position work for you despite changing circumstances.

What about that worst manager? You probably walked away without a backward glance, relieved to never see them again.

Depending on the organization, the person leading a sales team may be called a manager, a leader, or a coach.

For many people leading a team and for their team members, the name doesn’t matter because the job description is the same. They are the person responsible for guiding their team toward hitting their sales goals.

But the difference between managing and coaching has become a hot-button issue. Why? Because Gen Z cares, and they are set to become the dominant group in the work force by 2025.

A great coach can impact the outcome of a game more than any player. This is why we revere great coaches like Belichek, Walsh, and Landry. Their greatness stems from their ability to transfer knowledge beyond themselves by inspiring their players to become more than the sum of their parts! 

As the sales leader in your organization, you are the coach of a high-performance sports team. Your job is not writing up plays, sitting back in the coach's box, and watching the game. Your job is to be on the field observing and helping your players be the best that they can be. Coaching is the cornerstone to achieving this.

As a sales manager, you understand the benefits of sales coaching. Not only does it help your sales reps close more deals, but it also improves communication, builds confidence, and enhances teamwork.

With so many different coaching styles and techniques, how do you know what's effective in today's fast-paced, ever-evolving sales environment? Here's what effective sales coaching looks like today and how to implement it in your sales organization.

You may not realize it, but you are setting expectations all the time. You set expectations in everything you do and in everything you don’t do.

It’s an amazing power to have. As a leader, you can have a positive impact on the lives of each person you manage based on the expectations you set for them.

Do you ever wonder if you could be getting more out of your sales team? What if you could better understand their strengths and weaknesses and coach them to reach their full potential?

Understanding the talents of each person on your team and coaching to these talents allows you to grow the individual and the organization.

But how can you tell how a person is wired and what their natural talents are?