Sales coaching is about helping sales reps solve their own problems. You can run more effective coaching meetings by following the right framework and using the right sales coaching template.
The Only Sales Coaching Template You Will Ever Need
While team-wide training is important for all employees, one-on-one coaching can prove to be very beneficial. One-on-one coaching can have many benefits. It can increase win rates, speed the ramp time for new employees, and improve retention.
In today’s world where many salespeople struggle to adapt to remote work, one-on-one coaching can be especially helpful.
Sales managers need to be practical and create a playbook that includes sales coaching templates. This will help them to develop one-on-1 coaching sessions that are most valuable to their sales reps.
This article will show you how to create the perfect sales coaching template for your team. It also contains metrics that will help you evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of your coaching.
Why one on one meetings are more important than ever sales executives
HubSpot reports sales managers invest in sales coaching in order to improve sales rep performance and empower them so that they can positively impact the entire sales organization. Each rep will receive support and training to help them reach their quota as well as the team’s goals.
Sales coaching is a daily process where sales reps address concerns and identify areas for improvement. It involves setting goals and training sales reps to improve their skills. Sales coaching can increase the productivity of sales teams and improve job satisfaction in the long-term.
Because each rep is unique, one-on-one meetings are crucial. This is what distinguishes sales coaching from formal sales training.
Sales leaders can build positive relationships and give the guidance that they need.
The Essential Areas to Focus on in One-on-Ones
- Ask questions and address your concerns – This is the time when reps should feel comfortable asking questions. Reps should feel comfortable asking questions or voicing concerns. Sometimes, however it takes some nudging to get these concerns and questions out there.
- Review the performance from last week – Be sure to check on performance regularly. These meetings can include reviewing the rep’s performance during the past week, month, and quarter. Reps can reinforce what they did well and provide feedback on areas that could be improved.
- Discuss your future goals and objectives. Clear goals are better for salespeople. Talk with your sales reps about the week ahead and give them benchmarks.
- It is important to share important information. The definition of “important” will vary from one company and from week-to-week. You may have a skill that you want to share with your reps in some cases. Sometimes you just want to keep your clients informed about products and sales.
How to Make Your Own Coaching Template
A template is one of the best ways for your one-on-1 coaching sessions to be productive.
Coaching is not always easy. It is better to prepare for each meeting in advance. This is a great way to prepare for meetings by sharing a template, or agenda.
While you may need to change your sales coaching template over time it can still be a great starting point.
These are the steps that sales managers should take in order to create an effective coaching template.
Step 1. Define the Goal of the Meeting
Harvard Business Review found that 71% senior managers believe that their meetings are inefficient or unproductive.
To avoid meetings becoming a waste, you need to establish a clear and achievable goal. One-on-one meetings with sales representatives can have many goals. You could address a specific issue, teach a new skill or provide updates.
No matter what the situation, your coaching plan should reflect the goals you want to achieve in each meeting.
Step 2 – Focus on Key Sales
Your sales coaching template should highlight key metrics you want to share. These metrics include win rate, quota attainment, and sales expense ratio. This will help you gauge reps’ sales performance.
These metrics will help identify strengths and weaknesses so you can decide what feedback to give each rep.
Step 3 – Review Your Goals
Setting clear goals for your reps can help increase their performance, as we’ve already mentioned. Setting goals is just one aspect of being a great sales manager.
You must strike a balance between goals too difficult and ultimately unrewarding and goals that are too hard and impossible to achieve. When setting goals for your sales meeting, you must consider who you are meeting. A goal that is too easy for one rep may be too difficult for another.
Step 4 – Create Activity Item , and Perform Sales Activities
Goals are benchmarks or objectives you want your reps to meet, but action items are tasks you require them complete. You can ask your reps for a set number or objectives. However, you could also ask them to make certain sales calls, send out certain emails, demo certain products, or do any other thing that will help them achieve the goals.
Sales activities are all the actions, strategies and practices your reps use to convert prospects into paying customers.
5: – Leave feedback
Encourage constructive dialogue is a key component of sales leadership. Every one-on-one meeting should include a time for sales reps to give feedback. Sales reps should be able to give feedback.
It is equally important that you get feedback from your reps to address any issues that might be holding them back. Sales coaching is a team effort among sales managers, their sales reps, and customers. Ask each rep what you can help them succeed.
By encouraging open and honest communication between you, your reps, you can ensure that you and your sales team have all the information they need to succeed.
This is a great way to develop your coaching model.
How to Measure Your Coaching’s Efficacy Template
These are the key areas to consider to determine the results that your coach template is producing:
Goal Attainment
Are your reps reaching the goals you set? You could find that they are not achieving the goals you have set. It could also be that they don’t receive the necessary resources or instructions to achieve the goals.
What results are they getting in achieving their goals and objectives?
Sales Activities
Are your reps actually putting into action all the sales activities that you have taught them? Are they achieving the sales goals they set with these activities? Are they lacking in the right strategies and skills?
New Hire Onboarding Quick Time
How long does it take for new employees to be onboarded before they achieve maximum productivity?
Good sales coaching can reduce ramp times. Your ramp time could be longer than the average market of 3.0 months. This could be a sign that your coaching process needs to be improved.
Sales Metrics
Are your metrics for measuring team performance improving? Are they closing more business?
Helpful Software Products
Many tools are available today to assist sales coaches. Some tools can even prove to be very beneficial. These tools have been proven to be very valuable in sales coaching.
HubSpot’s Sales Training Template
HubSpot’s training template was created to help new hires. It provides strategies for creating a 30-day-, 60-day-, or 90-day sales training program.
Sales Training Templates Ambition
Ambition, a company offering a variety sales training software solutions, created a number great coaching templates that you can free download.
Sales Training Template Close.com
Close.com’s sales coach template is available for free download. It includes step-by-step guidance on how to have a productive one-to-one meeting with your reps. This includes how you can conduct an inventory of your sales pipeline, how to role play key sales scenarios, and how to conduct a review of your pipeline.
Conclusion
A sales coaching template will help you run more effective coaching meetings by following the right framework. In addition, it can increase win rates, speed the ramp time for new employees, and improve retention.
