From infamous to famous, as most sports writers put it, Ron Artest has certainly made quite the comeback. It has been a long road for Artest ever since that brawl in Detroit, but it was one that he traveled well. There were many steps that the new NBA champion had to take to restore his superstar status, and many of these steps can be applied in the sales industry.
When it comes to coaching, there are many methods that you can take, but one of the most effective, is the peer-to-peer coaching. Before he went to the Lakers, Artest was a fantastic defensive player, but he tried to play every role and that was not always possible. When he paired up with Kobe Bryant, Artest immediately settled back into his defensive game, since he now had a partner that would create balance. By having employees sit down with one another, they can open the lines of communication and target areas of development. It will also foster team development and build performance levels.
In order to be a good coach, you have to be able to define which of the four tiers, knowledge, behavior, skills, and creative, your employee has problem with. For Ron Artest, his problem with shooting was behavioral. After missing important shots, he no longer had confidence in his scoring ability. However, with the proper training techniques, he was able to make, undoubtedly, the most important shot in game seven. There are a couple of ways to help a behavioral problem in the office, such as cold calling. First, you can have an employee watch and reflect a co-worker who may be an outstanding phone salesperson. Or you can question back. Do not just give an employee the answer to a problem they have; instead, turn the question back around and ask them what they think they should do to become a better cold caller.
When Ron Artest needed someone to help him progress from frightened shooter to calm, confidant basketball star, he called on the one person he knew could coach him through his problems- his psychiatrist.
So, be there for your employees and when their performance starts to rise, they'll have you to thank...or their psychiatrists.