Working as a sales coach or sales mentor

Usually I work with businesses in the capacity as sales coach or sales mentor and occasionally, a mix of both.

The two disciplines are very different – by way of an example, a sales coach guides and encourages the person to find their own way out of a problem and a sales mentor uses their experience to show how they would navigate the same issue.

Much of what is achieved is dependent on the agreed outcome of the project – you know the line, ‘start the journey with the destination in mind’ – if everyone is pointed in the same direction, with the same objective then good things can happen – occasionally great things.

Working on the basis that “it’s less about being right and more about doing the right thing” usually helps keep the focus on what it needs to be – less ego, more ‘we go’

There are many different sales methodologies out there and numerous processes with which to work to.

I own a number of sales books of varying quality, depth and relevance – I talk often about some of the great ones, (in my opinion)
– Chet Holmes, The Ultimate Sales Machine
– Brian Tracy, The Psychology of Selling
– David Hoffield, The Science of Selling

I even rate Daniel Pink’s To Sell is Human – certainly more than Ben East at the Guardian did.

There are some poorly conceived works out there too but I am loath to criticise as even they are much better than anything I have published, despite some vain proclamations in the past.

For me, most books are telling a similar version of the same story that gets updated every so often based on new technology or obsolescence through media, technology, culture or human development.

There is no panacea.

There’s also no need to buy 100s of books.

Even methodologies converge, borrow or influence one another.

Some constants through, through all sales learning are:
– objective
– strategy
– process
– language
– measurement tools
– EQ over IQ
– budget

What is most often missing is conviction, determination and unwavering focus.

I don’t write those words easily – changing course in sales and marketing is high risk, regardless of how well you retrofit any successes.

It’s courageous and takes strong leadership.

Consider it a project.

Building a house?

First of all it helps to know where you want to build the house?

The size – based on needs or wishful thinking?

The budget.

The team to build the house – architects, surveyor, builder.

For my work with customers, I use PR Smith’s SOSTAC^® Planning Methodology and I would recommend it to any sales coach or sales mentor.

Alastair Campbell also talks about OST in his book ‘Winners and How they succeed’
– objective
– strategy
– tactics

In that order.