More and more companies and executives are calling on them – sales coaches. But what is their role? Who are they for? What are they typically involved in? To tell us about it, we interviewed Jean Villeneuve, a business development consultant and coach (www.jeanvilleneuve.ca).
What Is the role of a sales coach?
A sales coach is a supporter. He supports a person – often the head of a company – or a group. Monitoring is done for a defined period to obtain measurable and concrete results. During the process a close professional relationship is forged between the coach and coachee.
How is a coach distinguished from a sales trainer?
The trainer carries out a knowledge transfer. He does not give much feedback, unlike a coach. Nor does he have a relationship with his client, while a coach and coachee maintain a relationship that resembles a partnership in a support structure. Training is also one of the integral elements in coaching.
What qualities are required to become a good sales coach?
You have to be passionate about your job. A coach must also have winning experience in his field as well as a wide range of knowledge. He must be able to adapt to very different target audiences from a variety of industries and be able to adapt to their challenges. Finally, the coach must have interpersonal skills, be a good communicator and above all like people.
Who are your coaching sessions for?
They are aimed at any company that wants to improve its sales or to anyone wishing to improve their inside or outside sales force. It can therefore be a B2B or B2C environment.
What type of relationship should be maintained with the salespeople to move them ahead?
The relationship must be professional and may tend over time towards a personal relationship, especially if the coaching is a success. But there has to be a line drawn between the two, because a certain distance must be maintained.
What typical interventions does a coach carry out with his client, whether an individual or a group?
In the first place, I conduct an analysis of the situation, and the strengths and weaknesses of the person or group. I then propose a work plan including the goals to be achieved as well as the actions to be taken in the short, medium and long term. Finally, we draw up a joint summary and findings between each of the coaching phases.
Many exercises are practised in the field, because I do not believe in merely theoretical training. I therefore show the coached people what to do practically depending on the situation.
What are your clients seeking?
Companies are looking to improve their sales. As for individuals, they want to improve their sales performance. A sale consists of four steps which are more or less difficult. People often call on me to help them improve the first two steps, which are prospecting and meeting with the client. If these two steps are well executed, the others (negotiation and the close) will follow. Prospecting is a particularly difficult activity and few salespeople master it. It takes a lot of work on the psychological aspect. In sales, the mind has a lot to do with it.
What challenges do you encounter?
It makes possible what was otherwise impossible or very difficult. I will give you two examples:
- Sometimes I might meet a salesperson who wants to prosper in the sales field although he does not have the necessary qualities. He must therefore be shown how to act within his own limits while being assured that he can operate successfully. It’s not obvious.
- I can also encounter a client who is developing in a slowing industry and wants to boost his sales. The challenge is then huge.
How long does support last?
Coaching is done in blocks of 3 to 6 hours per week for a company, and 3 to 4 hours for an individual. It takes between 3 and 6 months to obtain good results for a company, but it depends on the goals. For an individual, you can count on about 1 to 2 months, but there again it depends on each person’s situation.