Time Is a HOT Commodity
Frantic ManagersWhen a coaching program is introduced into an organization one common misperception always rears its ugly head: "coaching will take up too much of my valuable time!" Most managers new to coaching view it as a “feel-good” activity that will take up hours of their time meeting with each individual employee every week. In reality, there are many time conscious options and coaching tools available to managers that are tight on time.
The following are coaching methods sales leaders can deploy to ensure performance improvement without at times even being physically present:
- Peer Coaching – pair up sales people and create activities where they discuss, role-play, and challenge one another. The key is to create well-defined activity and then have them report back how the activity went so accountability is ensured. You can even use score sheets where they score one another during a role-play or simulation so management has feedback they can sue to co0ach each employee
- Group Coaching – An area such as cold calling or product knowledge could be the focus. Have staff break into smaller groups where they complete an activity and report back what they did. For example, one group could come up with 3 new creative selling questions and another group could come up with what they feel are the top 3 benefits of the product. This leads to high engagement and sharing of best practices within a coaching delivery model
- Self-Directed Coaching – this is where sales leader prescribe an activity such as reading an article or book and the sales staff report back what they learned. Fore example, an article could be distributed and have each sales person email their manager one thing they learned they feel will help them create success (again accountability)
Unfortunately managers are not the only people who fall victim to this time misconception. Employees also stress about adding coaching activities into their already overbooked schedule. It's true that coaching and coaching activities will use some of an employee's time, but with good reason. If you do not take the time to practice you won't magically improve. Perfecting your craft will take time and effort.
Just as managers cannot expect employee's to improve because they demanded them to, employees cannot expect to enhance their performance just because they wished to perform better. Coaching will provide an opportunity to practice your craft, improve your performance and be successful. Yes, it's true that coaching will take up some of your time but I can assure that sacrificing some of your time to coaching will be well worth the payoff you will receive when you begin to improve and perform better...and I don’t mean a high five from your boss.
The key is to schedule all coaching activities, stick with that schedule, and stay committed to coaching. When you begin to see results (and spend your reward) coaching won't just be another thing you have to do, but a tool that will help you to improve and succeed.
To learn more about the benefits of coaching, click below to download "Why You Need to Start a Sales Coaching Program" a free whitepaper
