Managing a sales team requires a whole new skill set of recruiting, retaining, and motivating. An experienced sales coach can help you learn leadership skills and guide your team to greatness.
For many salespeople, taking the leap into sales leadership is inevitable.
A top producer may be rewarded with a management role, or a long-time salesperson may feel that team leadership is the logical next step for their career. It’s definitely exciting to imagine being in charge of your own team, taking on new responsibilities, and moving your career forward!
However, as a new sales manager, you may feel a little dread along with that excitement. Being a salesperson didn’t teach you how to manage salespeople, hire (or fire) employees, or motivate and train a team to hit your company’s revenue goals. Suddenly, you’re in need of a whole range of skills you’ve never had to think much about!
The TRIAL-BY-FIRE Approach To Sales Leadership
Most salespeople who transition into sales leadership end up taking the “trial-by-fire” approach. They take the plunge and figure out things as they go. If you’ve had a good manager, you may have learned a few things along the way—or you may end up copying everything they did because it seemed to work.
Of course, the previous sales manager’s playbook might be all wrong. And sooner or later, you’ll come to a problem you’re unsure how to solve. Even if your sales team seems to be performing fine, there’s a chance you’re leaving tons of potential untapped. How can you be sure you’re getting the most out of your salespeople?
Most of us don’t get to press “pause” on a promotion so we can go get a degree in management. And thankfully, there’s a better, more efficient way to build leadership skills that we can use right away.
One-On-One Sales Coaches: Leadership Experts
Sales leaders looking for an immediate dose of expertise should consider hiring a one-on-one sales coach. The ideal sales coaches are experienced sales leaders with a proven track record of training and coaching other salespeople.
In your initial coaching sessions, your sales coach will learn about your business and help you identify areas where your leadership skills need improvement. This could include:
- Hiring & Recruitment
- Employee Retention
- Compensation Strategies
- Sales Strategy & Goal-Setting
- Sales Team Training
- Communication Skills
In a structured sales coaching program like Skillway’s, the coach will develop an individualized strategy that covers lesson plans and metrics for success. Depending on the sales manager or business owner’s needs, they’ll learn about leadership topics like creating team missions and values, building a sales culture, running productive meetings, or how to handle performance issues.
In addition to learning new skills and strategies, sales leaders can confide in their personal coach and get objective advice for specific leadership situations. Sales coaches have consulted clients on everything from hiring and firing decisions to conflict resolutions.
Managing The Team—And Managing The Numbers
Sales managers and business owners often have excellent interpersonal skills but struggle to lead people while managing all the numbers involved. Without understanding your team’s metrics, you’ll never know where to set the goalposts.
A Skillway sales coach can guide you through past performance analysis, goal setting, and performance tracking so you know exactly what your sales team is capable of and what needs prioritized attention. When you learn to manage the numbers, you’ll start to see new leadership opportunities—whether it’s training your sales team with a new approach, motivating salespeople with a better compensation plan, or building best practices based on your top producers.
Could your career benefit from a fresh set of leadership skills? By partnering with an experienced sales coach, you can learn how to lead your sales team with vision, direction, and purpose. A Skillway sales coach is always on your side—and knows how to deliver real results.
Contact us today to schedule a free jump-start coaching session to see if a one-on-one sales coach is right for you. Our coaches will help you CRUSH your sales goals and love what you do!
