Selling With Noble Purpose, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 18Noble Purpose Sales Coaching

I'm a coach, so I take the issue of control personally.

—Pat Summitt, the all‐time winningest coach in NCAA basketball

Coaching is a force multiplier. A manager's words echo in salespeople's heads when they're with customers. One manager with 10 reps can create a differentiated experience for hundreds of customers.

When you send your team out the door or onto the phones with “Go get 'em, tiger” or “Let's close this deal,” it's certainly more inspiring than saying nothing. But as a Noble Purpose organization, you can do even better. Your coaching can mean the difference between a successful sales call and an unsuccessful one.

Here are some specific Noble Purpose coaching techniques to help you help your team created a differentiated sales experience.

Before the Sales Call

Ideally, you want to coach your team well in advance of their critical sales calls. But the reality of the field is you might be on the phone the night before or trying to squeeze in a few tips before they jump on a call. Here's how to make the most of the time you have.

If you have 10 hours before the sales call:

• Ask the rep about the five categories of critical customer information (see Chapter 11).
• Ask the rep to put into writing, “How will this customer be different as a result of doing business with us?”
• Share a customer impact story from a similar customer.

If you have 10 minutes before the sales call:

• Ask the game‐changing question: “How will this customer ...