Coaching is the most effective tool for managers to improve sales performance. The highly successful sales managers are the ones who are always learning and developing their own skills so that they can lead their team to achieve sales goals effectively. This is even more significant for managers who are experienced and have been very successful as an individual contributor and are now managing a team. 

New research identifies that businesses with a strong coaching culture demonstrate 21% higher profit margins and 20% higher productivity. Because of these findings, there is much emphasis on going beyond just being a typical sales manager to being an employee enablement coach.

It is therefore imperative that Sales Managers need to be coached as well as refining them as a coach destined for a high-performance path. Performance Enablement Sales Coaching model explores the continuous relationship of activities, objectives and results. The goal alignment strategy helps in setting activities and objectives that are likely to produce the desired results.

“If I only had a dollar to spend on sales training, I’d spend 75 cents on the frontline sales managers.”

In this blog, we will look at the nuances of this process, the key tenets of a performance enablement model, and what modern sales management consists of in terms of sales manager functions and objectives.

Understanding the Role of a Sales Manager

(Source: seismic)

DO YOU KNOW? A recent Seismic survey revealed that 80% of the respondents are confident that the company’s enablement tools will be instrumental in helping them retain and attract more employees in 2024.

What is a sales Manager?

A sales manager manages a company’s sales team, formulates a sales strategy, and delivers sales targets. He mainly keeps the company’s revenues rolling while developing a great culture in the team.

The Transformation of Sales Managers into Performance Enablement Model

(Source: Mike Kunkle)

My book details this Sales Management System and what I call the Sales Management Operating System. There is a great deal to unpack here within this system and this image, but if you take it from top to bottom and one bullet point at a time, I believe that the concepts clearly shine through.

Implementation of a Sales Management System for Effective Involvement of Teams

1. Overcoming the Obstacles to Effective Involvement of Frontline Sales Managers with the Teams
2. Organization overloads most frontline sales managers, hence, not allowing proper time that should be used in interaction, performance diagnosis, and coaching.
3. Empowerment of front-line sales managers to do their best
4. Utilize a Sales Management System with an Operating System and an integrated Sales Coaching System to make a difference for the organization.
5. The Sales Management System is instilled with a Sales Coaching System, along with models and processes that create innovation to achieve better sales results.
6. Sales manager training, developing, and coaching front-line sales managers will enable their teams.

A Step-by-Step Approach to High-Performance Sales Coaching

1. Coaching Framework

Developing a coaching framework in terms of systems and well-defined processes which are conducive and easy to implement. Setting up a progressive and dynamic coaching framework is critical for rolling out effective high-performance coaching.

(Source: thecenterforsalesstrategy)

DO YOU KNOW? Companies where quality coaching is present reach 7% higher annual revenue growth.

2. Performance Benchmarks

Identification of appropriate performance standards and key competencies required to achieve the desired performance lay the foundation of effective coaching structure

3. Goal Alignment

Each team members have individual goals and aspirations which needs to channelize and aligned with organizational goals in a manner that motivates and energizes the team to perform

4. Sales Process

Sales is a well-defined step-by-step process which needs to be impregnated into the team for higher conversions and better results. Effective sales processes mirror the customer’s buying processes and therefore coaching processes are defined accordingly.

5. Coaching Feedback

Feedback in coaching is very important, constructive and specific feedback is the key to successful coaching. Feedback plays the most critical role in success and failure of team performance

6. Overcoming Obstructions

Dealing with high emotions and Impasses are the biggest challenges faced by sales professionals. Good coaching techniques to overcome these obstructions is highly critical as most of the deals get stuck at this point and do not get closed.

7. Coaching for Performance

The Sales Manager transforms as a Performance Coach, guiding and supporting the team members at every step of the sales process leading to higher conversions and better results.

The successful implementation of this coaching model results in the following benefits: –

1. Managers can assess the critical skills & performance gaps of their team members.
2. Equip the team with highly impactful sales process.
3. Facilitate the team with application of tools and techniques to reinforce learning.
4. Develop the leadership coaching skills that help improve individual performance.
5. Lead and effect behavior change conducive for performance mindset.
6. Achieve Incremental sales performance.

International Coach Federation Research shows that organizations investing in coaching achieve an average return on investment of 7:1. Now, let’s dig into why coaching isn’t just a feel-good initiative but instead a strategic business imperative with measurable returns.

What Can AITD Do for the Sales Manager to Become a Performance Enablement Coach?

To transform a modern business and make its sales force much more effective, a modern sales manager needs to be a performance enablement coach. This is in line with the performance enablement model but enables teams to perform at their best. Amity Institute of Training & Development (AITD) will provide such end-to-end sales manager training in developing a coaching culture.

Coaching Culture Development with AITD

AITD assists organizations in developing a coaching culture that inspires sales managers to become performance enablement coaches. This includes:

1. Implementation of a structured framework for accessible and easy integration into the sales process.
2. Identification of key competencies and performance standards of teams of sales.
3. Alignment of individual and team goals with that of the organization.
4. Training and support for sales managers on coaching skills development.

Alignment with AITD’s Expertise in Performance Enablement Coaching

AITD skills in the areas of leadership development, sales enablement, and organisational transformation can be of service to an organisation looking to transform its sales managers into performance-enablement coaches. AITD will offer:

• Developing the personnel program in line with specific requirements of your organization and the sales teams involved
• Access to the professional network of coaches, trainers, and consultants who can guide them throughout the process of transformation.
• Continuous support and resources for maintaining the efficacy of organizations in performance enablement coaching will ensure it lasts in the long term.

The conversion of sales managers into performance enablement coaches is what is crucial to sales success in the competitive business environment today. AITD can also assist companies in making the right sales manager training program that would help build capabilities and develop skills to improve the capacity of their organizational leadership and eventually boost performance and growth.