Coaching Philosophy
My coaching philosophy is centered on creating a culture that supports sales excellence so that my salespeople will be better able to increase their sales effectiveness and productivity. I do this by…
• Believing in the innate value and integrity of people. My salespeople are my most important component to the whole sales process.
• Ensuring that my salespeople always know the company goal (which in my case is usually some kind of monthly/yearly sales target number). I make it clear that this needs to be their #1 goal because it is ultimately how we will be measured.
• Always creating an environment of respect. I always show respect for all my salespeople and anyone in the “system.” By showing respect I believe respect will be shown back to me. It also helps create trust which I need from my salespeople in order for them to become open to my coaching. I respect people by listening to them talk about life in general, complimenting them on anything above average, being fair, being positive in nature and taking a sincere interest in them as both a professional and as a person.
• Empowering my salespeople to make the decisions needed to get the sale done. I do this by providing “strategic guidelines.” Good or bad, my salespeople are in an environment where they are challenged to provide their own potential solutions first, and then ask me for “feedback.” I continually coach daily so that “we” are on the same page which builds their (and my) confidence. My people operate independently.
• Developing my communication approach as being “soft on people, hard on accountability.”
• Getting my salespeople involved. Involved in decision making and being able to create an impact/difference at the workplace. This generates “self motivation” and leads to my salespeople taking “ownership” of the process of sales.
• Placing an emphasis on developmental feedback, not on just evaluative feedback. Developmental feedback is nothing more than regular coaching—communicating what needs to be done, how to do it and then debriefing on how well the salesperson is doing it. This will also bolster point #4—empowerment.
• Guiding my salespeople (through coaching/feedback) to discover, identify and address their obstacles. I do this by asking questions…lots of questions!
• Following up on past coaching sessions. This helps maintain momentum and creates an atmosphere of accountability. It also shows my sincerity and my commitment to the cause.
• Having fun with my salespeople…rewards, small sales trivia questions, thank you’s, days off, cards, notes, food……
This “coaching philosophy” is a daily routine that is most effective when done in person and in the “field.” It is there where this philosophy builds skills and relationships…and shouts out the message: “We are good, but we can become even better!” This is my “Coaching Philosophy.”
—Patrick Crocetta 8/07
