Infield Sales Coaching

• Infield Sales coaching should be done immediately before or after the call.

• The best place is in the salesperson's car, while it's parked, with the motor turned off, and your minds turned on!
• Don't make a big deal of it. Coaching should be something that you do naturally and the salesperson expects you to do in your role as sales manager. The important thing is to do it systematically and properly.
• Whenever possible, confine the coaching to just one point or idea. Don't overwhelm the salesperson.
• Don't feel obligated to coach. If there are no particular points to be made, don't make any. Simply compliment the salesperson on a strength you noticed and get on with the next call.
• When doing corrective coaching, always start with a positive — something that the salesperson did right. After you make your point, finish on another positive note. The idea is to keep the salesperson's attitude as positive as possible while helping him build his selling skills.
• Before the call, help the salesperson set some call objectives. Help him develop the habit of putting his mind in gear before opening the car door.
• After the call, compare the pre-call objectives with the actual call results. Help him determine what follow-on activity would be appropriate.
• Ask the salesperson what, if anything, he would have done differently during the call. Why?

Above all, avoid the incredible temptation to jump in and "save the sale" during the meeting with the prospect. Use the situation as a learning experience. Remember, good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment. You may have to lose a few small sales in order to help the salesperson develop the skills to get the big ones.

Here's another tip. Use a checklist to simplify your note taking. Use it to check off the things the salesperson does right as well as those areas that need attention.