It is a common belief that top performing salespeople don’t need to be coached?
That notion is wrong.
Your top producing salespeople must be coached just as much as your mid or bottom performing reps. In fact, it may be a smart decision to start coaching them even more!
Why? Because by coaching your best reps, maturing them further and motivating them to achieve new goals, you better your chances of moving your sales results forward.
Think about it, do professional sports teams just allow their superstar players to sit out during practice? Absolutely not! In reality, ample attention is given to top players to ensure they maintain and improve upon their success, and these players often practice harder and get coached more often than their teammates to help them develop even quicker.
The same concept applies to your top sellers. If they aren’t getting better, they’re getting worse. If time and effort are not spent developing them, they may become complacent and take the foot off the pedal. Or, even worse, they may start seeking a more challenging position in another company…perhaps even go to your competitors.
Don’t be hands off with your top performers!
That being said, there’s a couple tricks you can use to effectively coach your most valuable people.
1. Don’t Push It!
There are two sides to every coin.
While nobody should be immune to coaching, the last thing you want to do after following this advice is to try to expose everything that’s lacking with a particular salesperson in an attempt to improve them. That’s a guaranteed way to send high-level talent to another company.
Instead, ask them what they think they’re doing well and they think they could improve. Even the highest of producers can often immediately identify their own weaknesses. Let them be hands on with their own training.
2. Find the Good
Dig deep and figure out what your top sellers are doing to create their success. When you understand their results producing behavior, you can encourage more of it from your entire team! If certain things are working and proven to be effective, don’t hide it!
I know, sometimes we don’t see the need to fix what’s not broken. There can be a habit to just let top performers continue their behavior and reinvest your time into your other tasks and procedures.
But, you never want to underestimate the potential of your best sales reps. If they’re producing superb results without coaching, imagine where some additional direction and improvement can take them!
https://www.engageselling.com/blog/2-ways-to-make-your-best-sellers-even-better/
About the Author:
Colleen is driven by a passion for sales - and results. A successful sales leader for over 20 years, she understands the challenges of selling in today's market. Clients who work with Colleen note her frank, no-nonsense approach to solving problems and addressing opportunities. Colleen has become renowned for her practical strategies and use of measurement and accountability to inspire sales team results.
Colleen has been distinguished as a Certified Sales Professional (C.S.P.) and an inductee into the Speaking Hall of Fame. Sales and Marketing Magazine has called Colleen and Engage Selling: One of the top 5 most effective sales training organizations in the market today!
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are strictly those of the author. CPSA does not endorse any of the companies, products and services mentioned within this article.
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