Next Level Sales Coaching

4Review and Plan Meetings

Plans are nothing; planning is everything.

—Dwight D. Eisenhower

GREAT COACHES AT both the collegiate and professional levels are able to replicate their success over time because they have repeatable processes that work. One is their ability to develop relationships with their team and a second is their ability to plan. We are going to reach now and draw some conclusions. At the beginning of each season, they meet with each individual player and review what happened last year and set goals for the upcoming year. In sales management terminology, we would call this conversation a “review and plan.” Throughout the course of the season they continue having these conversations to ensure progress against the goals and make adjustments when necessary. Before, during, and after games, they have impactful meetings and huddles to get everyone motivated and focused to hit the goal, which is to win the game.

They run practices and trust that repetition will help develop individual player skills, team skills, and the ability to perform under pressure. During games they shoot video. At half-time, they review it, break it down, give feedback, and make adjustments.

It takes a lot of time, persistence, patience, and attention to detail to be a successful coach, and that is what most sales managers are able, but unwilling, to do. At times, it can be much easier to ...