The most successful BevAlc sales managers know the value of training and development. Sales teams that participate in regular coaching and training see win rates improve up to 29%. And that's only the beginning. Sales training and development reduces turnover, improves morale, increases engagement, and boosts productivity. A quality training and coaching program can significantly increase customer satisfaction by giving your reps the tools, techniques, and confidence to find innovative solutions to their most pressing problems.
Another benefit of a BevAlc industry-specific training program is that it reinforces the sales coaching best practices that drive higher sales results from your team. 1:1 coaching becomes an interactive process that helps both the coach and the salesperson improve through feedback and goal setting based on data analysis. Let's look at some of the ways these best practices can reveal your sales team's potential.
Sales Coaching Best Practices
While there are some general sales best practices, each sales rep and team has its own strengths, challenges, and opportunities. As a BevAlc sales manager, your job is to reveal those through fact-based data and in-person observation. Using the right coaching platform takes natural subjectivity out of the equation and gives you actionable tools and techniques to empower your team to reach new levels of productivity and expertise. Combined with formal, consistent practices, your organization can see benefits that not only boost your bottom line but create a culture that top-performers actively seek.
1. Provide Regular Feedback
There is nothing more demotivational than an employee who works for an extended time believing they are hitting all their marks only to get a less-than-stellar performance review. Providing regular feedback in one-on-one coaching sessions keeps your reps on track, encourages continued motivation, and keeps their eyes on the prize, whether it is a new sales goal, sales bonus, or career advancement. Combined with 360° feedback, both you and your rep have the opportunity to improve.
2. Utilize Data in the Coaching Process
Quantitative analysis is critical in the coaching process. It reveals opportunities, highlights strengths, and provides a systematic way to track progress. A fact-based approach gives both the coach and the salesperson the talking points that open up communication and collaboration. Data backs benchmarks, new objectives, and helps to quantify business impact. Providing a visual record of progress based on actual results is vital to engagement and motivation.
The one trait that most people have in common is that they don't respond well to directives. Instead, they are engaged and motivated by fact-based, data-backed conversations. Incorporating sales and performance data illustrates your reps' progress and helps determine the next milestones in their development plans.
3. Create a Tailored Coaching Program
Sales managers deal with a variety of personalities and know they have to employ different approaches to guiding, developing, and counseling them. Two sales reps with similar strengths and experience may need totally different coaching and motivation. The ideal training program provides the ability to customize learning to the individual. A tailored learning approach can uncover new abilities and strengthen skills that were previously lacking.
Using a blended learning platform combined with 1:1 coaching provides flexibility to customize a learning path that will achieve the best results for each salesperson. Tailoring the coaching to the individual can involve a variety of styles. Successful sales coaches employ a combination of strategic, tactical, and skills coaching, depending upon whether the conversation is an improvement plan, development for career advancement, or periodic performance review.
4. Focus on Each Rep's Strengths, Opportunities, and Learning Preferences
Learning is not one size fits all because everyone has their own learning style. Some prefer to learn in small blocks of time between other tasks, while others prefer to dedicate a couple of hours at a time. Many people prefer instructor-led classes, while others excel at self-directed and on-demand learning. The best training programs offer a blend of online, self-directed, on-demand, and virtual live learning.
Boost Your Bottom Line With Structured, Individualized Coaching
Highly successful sales organizations understand that coaching and development is a crucial determinant in meeting or exceeding revenue goals. They recognize that providing flexible learning options that accommodate a variety of learning styles promotes greater engagement and leads to higher win rates. Managers of high-performing BevAlc sales teams use structured learning and development along with coaching best practices to build their teams.
A company culture that promotes continuous learning and development not only results in highly effective teams but also builds better leaders. Confident, accomplished leaders use every tool at their disposal to grow their sales reps and prepare them for career advancement. Individualized coaching creates greater engagement, morale, productivity, and job satisfaction. The key to surpassing your sales goals with a high-performing sales team lies in 1:1 coaching based on proven best practices.
