Building a Coaching Culture - Why Every Organization Needs One

This post will help you identify what coaching culture looks like and how to start, build, and maintain one that drives ROI for your organization.

All sales leaders know they should be actively coaching their reps, but when your day consists of running from meeting to meeting and call to call it’s easy to put coaching on the back burner. When a consistent coaching program isn’t built into your sales culture, rep performance can stagnate–leading to unhappy reps and little growth.

A well built and implemented coaching process can increase revenue, reduce rep attrition by 20%, and produce more top performers on your teams. Building a coaching culture has its challenges, but the ROI makes it a worthy investment.

Why Building A Coaching Culture is a Must

Culture is what people do when no one is watching. Building a coaching culture creates an environment where everyone from the sales floor to the executive suite embraces and participates in the coaching process. You can implement coaching at your organization and expect good results, but the greatest ROI comes from making coaching a pillar of your organization’s culture.

Every sales leader struggles with consistency and accountability. Creating a coaching culture helps relieve some of those struggles because it makes everyone accountable for coaching, not just managers and team leaders. Defining the coaching process also brings a level of consistent improvement to your sales team.

Having a coaching program will improve retention rates and directly impact revenue. According to The Bridge Group the average tenure of a sales rep is just 1.4 years. For companies with ramp times upwards of six month, this means reps are only fully productive for 2/3rds of their time at a company. When you regularly coach your reps, they get better faster, which means shorter ramp times and ultimately more value from your reps.

Sales Training is Not the Same as a Coaching Culture

Sales training is effective but it’s an uphill battle against the forgetting curve. Even if you hold training regularly, a whopping 87% of the information will be forgotten within 30 days.

The other inherent problem with sales training is that no two programs are the same. In theory, it’s not a big issue so long as managers are training their reps properly. In reality, it can create a muddied idea of what makes a “good” call from manager to manager. Creating a coaching culture reinforces training and creates consistency from team to team and rep to rep.

Where Do We Even Start?

Before you start building the foundation for your coaching culture, you need to remember that it will not happen overnight. Even if you make coaching mandatory, getting everyone on board with it takes time. With that in mind, here are the materials you need to create a strong foundation for a culture of coaching:

1. Pain Points of Your Current Culture

Before you begin constructing your coaching culture, you need to identify and understand the pain points of the current culture. Has accountability been pushed to the wayside? Do certain managers or reps do their own thing which produces results but doesn’t follow the coaching processes you set? When you have these pain points at hand, you’ll have a good idea of where the biggest challenges will be in the transition process.

2. Culture Champions

These are your brand cheerleaders who embrace and embody your organization’s core values and culture. They are the first ones to get on board with new technology, new sales processes, and new team members. Know who these culture champions are, ask them for their input, and make them the first part of the coaching program roll-out.

3. Your Reason for Building a Culture of Coaching

“Because” works 93% of the time, but before you start creating a coaching culture, you need to identify the motivating factors behind it. Are you looking to tie coaching to ROI and revenue? Is reducing ramp time important? Do you want to improve rep retention rates? Pick two or three things you’d like to improve with your new coaching process.

4. An Understanding of Your Managers’ ‘Type’

There are four core types of sales managers and each one coaches differently. To ensure you create the right environment for a coaching culture, you need to make sure your managers know how to effectively coach their reps. Certain manager types will need to adjust how the coach and support their team for it to have an impact.

These ingredients will create a strong foundation for you to begin building your coaching culture.

Good selling,

Peter C. Mclees, Sales Coach and Trainer
Smart Development
petercmclees@gmail.com
Mobile: 323-854-1713

We help sales reps and sales organizations accelerate their sales. 

How To Slay The Vampires Of No Accountability

They lurk in the dark shadows near the break room. Their mere presence, and longevity remind all that what surrounds them is a less-than-optimal work culture. They are every hard-working manager’s nightmare.  As “owners” of the culture, they take pride in their power of destruction.  

Complaining daily of perceived failed promises, corporate ideocracy, lack of fair compensation and appreciation, they whittle away at the team’s morale one hour at a time.  Every new hire who comes onto the team is ceremoniously on-boarded with their version of “the truth.”  High hopes and enthusiastic energy is sucked from the new employee until their well is dry.

“Don’t work too hard or they will give you more to do.”

“They never hold anyone accountable here.”

“We have seen it all before, nothing ever changes.”

 “Management doesn’t care about us.”

“Everyone here quits after a year.”

Except these parasites don’t. They linger and linger and continue to drain the life-blood out of the manager who has inherited them.  They are the Vampires of No Accountability (VONA) and keepers of the flame of the negative workplace culture.

How does a well-meaning leader rid themselves of these culture parasites?

First and foremost, they must be identified. Listen to the language of your employees. Who among them persists with a “my work life sucks” daily attitude, performs at the bare minimum and occupies 80% of your time with their complaints?

Have a list now?

Most leaders can easily identify the VOKA on their teams within minutes.  The sad fact is that they don’t know what to do next. The VOKA are well-schooled in riding the line of acceptable behavior. In fact, they have perfected the art of making the air around them so toxic that most managers avoid them at all costs. However, no matter how uncomfortable it is to deal with them, your workplace culture will never change until they are gone.

That’s right, gone.

The truth is that VONA are incapable of rehabilitation. They have such little self-reflection or care for others that motivation and empathy are simply words on an engagement poster that the “company” puts up in the breakroom. The other challenging factor is that they don’t want to go. Why would someone so unhappy with their work environment want to stay, you may ask? It’s simple. Well situated in their VONA role they don’t have to be accountable. They can do the bare minimum and blame everyone else for failures. There are a million reasons why they can’t do their job, complete the report on time, make a difference, or engage in problem solving. They are simply…” too busy and overworked”.  Their answer is always…what you are asking of them is impossible. And stupid. And not fair.

The answer to riding your team of the VONA, barring wearing necklaces of garlic, is to ignore them. That’s right. Ignore them.

Just like the age-old advice that Mom and Dad dispelled regarding your 8th-grade bullies. By ignoring the VONA you take away their life-sucking power. If no one is willing to drop what they are doing to listen to the 5, 467th complaint they have this week, and “fix” the things not working in the department, what would they do?

Complaining is the life-blood of the VONA. It feeds their ego and their entitlement fantasy. It validates why they are not performing at a high level. The true path to ridding your team of these blood-suckers is to literally focus all of your coaching, mentoring attention to those on the team that are putting forth effort- and reward them. 

Look for those teammates who have a sense of the greater good, a few ideas about improvement, and ask meaningful questions as it relates to working smarter, not harder.  Find your employees that are confident and feel good about themselves and engage them in working together for a more noble cause. Find a common concern that is bigger than any one person and invite them to problem solve together to remove barriers for all. Let the VONA know they are invited but that’s it. No begging, no pleading, no kowtowing to “needing them” on the team.

The number one mind-blowing fact to engagement is that it starts with the individual employee. 

Motivation is self-owned. Managers can stoke, support, coach, and encourage self-development and growth but ultimately that leap from renter to owner is the employee’s decision.

Great leaders will spot the burgeoning seeds of excitement and stoke the fire daily to inspire.

Great leaders will also understand that allowing VONA to reside and breathe toxicity within the team is the biggest mistake they can make.

Teams would rather work short than deal with the draining energy of a toxic employee. According to the Harvard Business Review,  “people close to a toxic employee are more likely to become toxic themselves, but the good news is that the risk also subsides quickly. As soon as you put some physical distance between the offender and the rest of the team – for example, by rearranging desks, reassigning projects, scheduling fewer all-hands meetings, or encouraging more work-from-home days — you’ll see the situation start to improve.”

Grab your list of VONA. Commit to the following for 30-60 days and see what happens to your team’s culture.

• Distance yourself and the team from the daily complaints. Do not allow VONA to take up more than 30 minutes of your time weekly. When complaints are voiced offer to meet with them to discuss but set a date at least 7 days away. Do not reward bad behavior by stopping what you are doing to entertain their latest complaint.

• Set expectations for the VONA. Empathize(initially) with their dissatisfaction. Acknowledge their feelings and suggest ways they can be part of the solution or self-sooth if it is a working constraint. Role model professional behavior always.

• Identify specific language and behaviors that are unacceptable in your working environment. Don’t’ shy away from having the “If you are really so unhappy maybe this might not be the right fit for you right now” conversation. No one can argue that they have a choice to look elsewhere to find happiness.

• Spend 80% of your coaching time on those employees that are engaged and working together harmoniously. Assure them that you are working on establishing limits within the workplace culture. Invite them to peer interview all new hires with the agreed upon team values. Dilute the pool on your team to water down the effects of the VONA.

• Document everything. Unfortunately, many VONA will not go down without a good fight. It is your job to show them the light if they are unable or unwilling to perform as expected. This includes behaviorally. Specific, clear expectations and consequences for non-compliance are necessary.

• Recognize the tipping point. When the VONA begin to leave (either from self-direction or your direction) notice the mood and engagement of the other teammates. Are they helping you to recruit? Are they more engaged? These signs point to the positive shift of the culture. Hold on and stay consistent. Do not hire “a body” just to fill a position. This is a crucial time in culture development and patience will pay off in the long term.

• Celebrate small wins. The loss of one VONA can have HUGE impacts on the team’s morale. The weight is lifted. Enjoy the shadowless corridors.

• Don’t forget your own mental health. Fighting the VONA daily is exhausting. Be sure to find ways to decompress and fill your bucket with meaningful work. Do not let them infect you, or worse, escort you to the dark side.

You must protect your team from the Vampires of No Accountability much like you would protect them from a disease. Immunize your newly energized culture with rewards, recognition, and attention. Remind them how much they have accomplished together and how far they have come. Do not allow new VONA to join your team, no matter how short. You have the power to upend the culture of significant drama and infighting.

Lead your team into the sunlight.

Check out these related posts: 

Six Words for Stopping Blame and Increasing Accountability

Personal Responsibility in the Pursuit of Happiness

To your growth and fulfillment,

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant

SMART DEVELOPMENT

Take the Next Step... 

Interested in learning how leadership coaching and training can benefit your organization? We begin with a collaborative discovery process identifying your unique needs and business issues. To request an interview with Peter Mclees please contact: 

Email: petercmclees@gmail.com  or  Mobile:323-854-1713

Smart Development has an exceptional track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, restaurants, stores, distribution centers, food production facilities, nonprofits, government agencies and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength, coaching skills and the teamwork necessary for growth.

Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.

How to Manage Passive-Aggressive People

Bringing Hidden Hostility to Light


Passive aggression is a masked way of expressing feelings of anger.

Do you know people who are frequently sarcastic? Do they tease others cruelly or put them down, either directly or behind their back? If so, do they then use the phrase "just kidding" to appear to lessen the blow?

Perhaps they respond to conflict by shutting others out and giving them the "silent treatment," rather than addressing issues head on. Or maybe they pretend to accept responsibility for tasks, only to come up with excuses for not doing them later.

You may not immediately recognize these actions as aggressive – angry people typically use harsh words or lash out physically. However, they are examples of passive-aggressive behavior.

In this post, I'll define passive aggression, explain why people might act in this way, describe the effect it can have in the workplace, and suggest strategies for managing it.

What Is Passive Aggression?
According to the medical practice and research group Mayo Clinic™, passive-aggressive people tend to express their negative feelings harmfully, but indirectly. Instead of dealing with issues, they behave in ways that veil their hostility and mask their discontent.

If you're not encouraged to be open and honest about your feelings from an early age, you might use passive-aggressive behavior as an alternative to addressing issues head on. For example, you might sulk, withdraw from people emotionally, or find indirect ways to communicate how you feel.

People may act like this because they fear losing control, are insecure, or lack self-esteem  . They might do it to cope with stress, anxiety , depression, or insecurity, or to deal with rejection or conflict. Alternatively, they might do it because they have a grudge against a colleague, or feel underappreciated.

Identifying Passive-Aggressive Behavior
Passive-aggressive people may mask their real feelings and claim that things are "fine." Nevertheless, you can often spot when their actions subtly contradict their words.

Some passive-aggressive people have a permanently negative attitude, and regularly complain about the workplace or their colleagues. Instead of offering praise when it's due, they typically downplay or ignore others' achievements. They might also use sarcasm as a weapon to attack colleagues (pretending that they are joking), or spread harmful rumors  .

Another common passive-aggressive behavior is to be disruptive. You may delegate a task to a team member that he doesn't want to do, so he leaves it to the last moment and does it poorly. Or, he might shirk his responsibilities, such as by taking a sick day just before an important presentation, as a form of "retaliation."

Passive-aggressive people often have difficulty taking responsibility for their own actions, and blame others for their mistakes. You'll find that issues at work, for example, are never their fault. Or, if they're late for a meeting or don't complete a project on time, it's because of someone else.

How Passive Aggression Affects the Workplace
Passive-aggressive people's negative behaviors can have serious consequences. For instance, if someone is consistently sending mixed messages about her intentions, you may find your team regularly misses its deadlines, which reflects badly on you.

Perhaps she withholds instructions or other critical information to impede fellow team members' progress, and projects suffer as a result. Or team members may have to pick up her work regularly, or are subject to her sarcastic comments. This can affect productivity, as well as breeding resentment and damaging morale.

Strategies for Managing Passive Aggressiveness
The suggestions below can help you control the negative behaviors of passive-aggressive team members.

Identify the Behavior
The first step in addressing passive aggression is to recognize it, using the pointers above. This is often the most challenging part, as it can be subtle and therefore difficult to identify.

Deal with passive-aggressive behavior straight away, so that it doesn't escalate. Make notes on situations as they occur, so that you have specific examples of what your team member has done, so he knows exactly what you're talking about.

Create a Safe Environment
Next, let the person know that it's safe for her to raise concerns and issues with you out in the open, rather in covert ways. Make it clear to her that, as a manager, you don't "shoot messengers," and would rather her come to you with her problems rather than let them bubble under the surface.

You need to act in a way that aligns with this, for example, by encouraging, praising and supporting people who do bring matters to your attention.

Use Language Carefully
Give accurate feedback, and be careful with the language you use. For instance, instead of complaining that someone is "always" late, you'll want to point out the exact times he's arrived over the last week or so, and give him an opportunity to explain why. You may then remind him when the workday starts, and ask him to show up on time in future.

Although it's important to be direct and to address the issue head on, try to avoid "you" statements. This will stop the other person feeling attacked, and becoming defensive. Instead, use first-person pronouns, such as "I," "we" and "our," and explain the effect that his behavior has had on you and your team. For instance, you might say, "I noticed that the report was two days late," instead of, "You failed to meet the deadline."

Tip:
It's important to confront passive-aggressive people directly and face-to-face, rather than through an indirect form of communication such as email. You'll get your message across more clearly in person.

Stay Calm
You may make the situation worse if you react emotionally to your team member. She may feel threatened, withdraw further, and become even more entrenched in her negative behaviors.

Speak to her or him in a measured, even tone and remain composed  . She might not even realize she's being passive aggressive, so you might want to use an empathic approach to defuse any anxiety and anger. However, if she is repeatedly behaving in this way, and you've raised the issue in the past, you may need to be firmer, and consider disciplinary action.

Identify the Cause
If passive-aggressive people claim that they are "fine" when their behavior suggests otherwise, don't accept their answers at face value. Probe more deeply by asking questions   to identify the root of the problem. Give them the opportunity to explain themselves, but don't let them pass the blame.

For instance, if someone seems to be responding negatively to a disappointing work decision – perhaps he got passed over for promotion – ask him if his behavior stems from this. Explain that you want to understand how he feels, and work with him to explore other ways that he might handle the situation more constructively. For example, he might improve a particular skill, so that he has a better chance of promotion next time.

Provide Training
Consider providing some one-to-one coaching using the GROW Model  , and coach your team member in how to communicate assertively  . In particular, role-play the raising of issues, so that people become comfortable doing this in a confident, non-passive-aggressive way.

Set Clear Standards and Consequences
If your team member deflects your feedback, for example by saying your standards are too high or that she didn't realize what your expectations were, she may be trying to divert attention away from herself.

You need to establish clear standards, and regularly reiterate what you want from her, so that you can hold her to account  . It's also important to explain that her negative behavior will not be tolerated, and set out the consequences of what will happen if she does step out of line again.

Confirm any discussions that you have about deadlines and actions in writing, by sending follow-up emails after meetings, or drafting a performance agreement  . That way, your team member will have difficulty claiming that she didn't understand what you expect from her.

Open up Channels of Communication
Passive-aggressive people often lack good communication skills, because they struggle to express their emotions openly. They may prefer to send emails, rather than address issues face-to-face, for example. When this is the case, encourage them to develop the skills and confidence to speak to others directly.

If your team members know that you welcome their insights and opinions, they are more likely to talk about issues. Be a good role model and communicate regularly with them. Practice Management by Wandering Around  , so you can develop strong relationships, build trust, and identify problems before they escalate.

Key Points
Passive-aggressive people mask their hostility with subtly aggressive actions. Telltale signs include procrastination, disruptive behavior, and blaming others.

Although it can be difficult to detect, passive aggressiveness can poison the work environment if it's left unchecked, so you'll need to take a proactive approach.

Once you've identified the behavior, address it directly. Stay calm during your conversation, and ask questions to find out the reasons behind your team member's actions so you can deal with them.

Set clear standards and hold people to account. Make sure you encourage open, two-way communication and provide training so they are able to air their views and become comfortable addressing issues in a non-passive-aggressive way.

Apply This to Your Life
As a leader, it's important to be aware of the signs of passive aggression. If you realize that you engage in these behaviors, step back and try to figure out why.

Then, take immediate steps to correct it. After all, your team members likely look to you as a role model for how to act in the workplace. For example, if you have difficulty confronting your team about problems, you might want to consider taking an assertiveness course.

To your greater success and fulfillment,

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant

SMART DEVELOPMENT

Take the Next Step... 

Interested in learning how leadership coaching and training can benefit your organization? We begin with a collaborative discovery process identifying your unique needs and business issues. To request an interview with Peter Mclees please contact: 

Email: petercmclees@gmail.com  or  Mobile:323-854-1713

Smart Development has an exceptional track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, restaurants, stores, distribution centers, food production facilities, nonprofits, government agencies and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength, coaching skills and the teamwork necessary for growth. 

Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.

Leadership Renewal

What if you’re not a new leader on the scene in a way whatsoever, but you wish you could start some or all of your management relationships anew?

Managers often say, “I can see now that I should be a stronger, more engaged manager, but I’ve been in this role managing many of the same people for years on end.” These mangers often ask: “How can I possibly just change my management style one day?”

Often these are long-standing workplace relationships. So the employees in question are accustomed to the way they’ve always interacted with this manager. If you make a big change they are going to feel it. They might even challenge you on the legitimacy of your change effort or doubt the likelihood of you success.

That’s why it’s best not to rush into a big change in your management relationships. Keep in mind that becoming a strong manager is not about putting your foot down, but rather much more like talking a walk every day. You need to be in this for the long haul if it’s going to work. So stop and think. Make sure you are ready psychologically. Make sure you are ready tactically. Make sure you have made all the preparations necessary.

It takes guts to make a big change; that's true whether you are considering a wholesale renewal of your management style or just a renewal of one or more specific management relationships.

Start with high engagement. The beginning is your best opportunity to reestablish the ground rules for your working relationship. This is your chance to create a new clarity and alignment:

• This is our mission.
• This our work relates to the mission.
• This is how we operate from now on.
• These are our core values.
• These are our standards. This is how I’m going to operate from now on.
• This is what I’m doing to do to help you from now on.
• This is what I have to offer you in return.

First and foremost, that means dedicating the time for high-structure, high-substance team meetings and regular, ongoing one-on-one dialogues starting on day one of your renewal. Take heart. This is good news! Think about it: you are about to let your people know that you are making a new commitment to the essentials of leadership. How can anyone on your team truly object when you say: “I’m going to be stronger (In a good way) and more highly engaged from now on”? Craft your own message with the key elements of the “Good news!” message:

• I am going to strive to live up to the huge responsibility of leadership.
• I’m going to spell out expectations for you and help you plan your work.
• I’m going to track performance.
• I’m going to help you learn, get tools and resources, solve problems, and earn more.
• I need your help in becoming a stronger, better manager.

Perhaps the toughest part of renewal is sticking with it (Read: Homeostasis). Like any change in habits, it’s not easy to stay on the wagon. For a leader with long-standing relationships, it could be very tempting to fall off the wagon and go back to your old management habits. So you have to be diligent and vigilant for weeks or months or sometime longer before the changes really become the new normal.

Every step of the way, keep asking yourself:

• Who needs to be managed more closely?
• Who needs more responsibly and autonomy?
• Who needs help navigating the complex, ever-changing workplace?
• Who needs help with the fundamentals of self-management?
• Who needs performance coaching to speed up or slow down?
• Who has a great attitude, and who needs an attitude adjustment?
• Who is likely to improve? Who is not? (Beware of the self-fulling prophecy)
• Who should be coached up? Who should be coached out?
• Who are the best people? Who are the real performance problems?

Yes, consistently is critical. But even more important is knowing what to do when you fall off the strong-leadership wagon for a while. Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day or a week or a month or years. Just stop and think. Prepare yourself. And then get right back to being strong and engaged. One person at a time. One day at a time.

The solution to nearly every management challenge comes from consistently practicing the fundamentals very well. That means maintaining an ongoing schedule of high-quality, one-on-one dialogues with every single person you manage.

If you consistently practice the fundamentals you will quickly see results: increased employee performance and morale, increased retention of high performers, increased turnover among low performers, and significant, measurable improvements in business outcomes. Not only that, but you will find yourself spending a steadily diminishing amount of you time on “firefighting.”

It is not easy to practice the fundamentals with rigor and consistency. To get going, you need to overcome three big hurdles:

First, you have to make the transition, which may require that you find new reserves of energy, conviction, and follow-through. Going from not maintaining high-structure, high-substance, ongoing, one-on-one dialogue with every direct report to establishing that practice requires that you change personally and professionally, communicate this to colleagues and superiors, roll it out to direct reports, and the start doing it.

Second, you’ll find it’s time-consuming, at first. Getting back to the fundamentals usually requires a significant up-front investment of extra time. If you haven’t been doing it before, you will still have to fight all the fires you have not prevented at the same time you are heavily investing time in preventing future fires. This could take up twice as much of your time for a while, until all the old fires die out.

Third, you need to stay ahead of the vicious cycle. You have to use discipline and focus to consistently spend your management time where it should be spent—upfront, every step of the way, before anything goes right, wrong, or average.

If you commit to this—consistently maintaining the high-structure, high-substance, ongoing, one-one-one dialogues—in a matter of weeks everything will get much better. Plus, you will start getting your time back—and then some.

Of course, the really hard part is truly sticking close to the fundamentals even when the heat is on. Don’t let the crisis throw you off your came. If you finding yourself slipping away from the fundamentals—if you have a bad day, week, or year—just bounce back. Get back on your game and start practicing the fundamentals again, with rigor and consistency, one person at a time, one day at a time.

The fundamentals are all you need.

To your greater success and fulfillment,

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant

SMART DEVELOPMENT

Take the Next Step... 

Interested in learning how leadership coaching and training can benefit your organization? We begin with a collaborative discovery process identifying your unique needs and business issues. To request an interview with Peter Mclees please contact: 

Email: petercmclees@gmail.com  or  Mobile:323-854-1713

Smart Development has an exceptional track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, restaurants, stores, distribution centers, food production facilities, nonprofits, government agencies and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength, coaching skills and the teamwork necessary for growth. 

Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.

The Psychology and Physics of Closing a Sale

It’s not the prospect’s job to ask us to sell them our stuff.  Instead, it’s our job to help them to buy it. 

Every sales manager I’ve ever talked with has agreed on one thing: The single biggest challenge salespeople have is completing (AKA closing) the deal. There are two reasons closing is such a big problem. One is psychology. The other is physics.

Physics??

Yes, physics. Let me explain.

First, the psychology part.

When we’re selling (and especially when we’re closing), we have to deal with two big fears. The first is the fear of rejection, a natural fear for most of us. The key to subduing this fear is to remember:

1) The prospect wants and/or needs what we’re selling.
2) A sales rejection is not a personal rejection.
3) If the prospect says no, we’re no worse off than before.

The second fear is more pernicious. We’re afraid of being perceived as the stereotypical “salesperson” so commonly portrayed in popular culture: pushy, rude, slimy, obnoxious as in the classic movie, Glengary Glen Ross.

Because we (subconsciously) fear being perceived as this stereotype, all too often we don’t really try to complete the sale. But completing the sale is a critical part of the process, arguably the most critical part. You can do everything else right—prospecting, needs analysis, presentation, answering objections—but if you don’t close, there’s no sale.

Here’s the secret to overcoming this fear: 

Understand that customers need you to help them complete the sale. Why? Physics!

The prospect is sitting there (or possibly standing there) in a state of inertia. Remember the Law of Inertia? “A body at rest tends to stay at rest.” Which means the prospect’s natural inclination is to do nothing, even though they need and/or want whatever it is you’re selling.

However, the Law of Inertia continues: “unless acted upon by an outside force.” That’s us! We need to be the outside force that acts upon our prospects to change their state. It doesn’t need to be a BIG force, however. It can be the gentlest of nudges.

So don’t think of closing as pushing the prospect into doing something they don’t want to do. Instead, think of it as nudging the prospect just enough to move them out of their inertia and into action.

When you think of it in these terms, completing the sale is not at all pushy, rude, slimy or obnoxious. In fact, assuming this purchase really is in the best interest of the prospect, then not completing the sale is a disservice to them, because it’s preventing them from enjoying the benefits of your product or service.

Remember, it’s not the prospect’s job to ask us to sell them our stuff. (Left to their own devices, they rarely will, due to that pesky inertia.) Instead, it’s our job help them to buy it. And they need us to do it. After all, we’re only battling fear. They’re battling physics.

Good selling,

Peter C. Mclees, Sales Coach and Trainer
Smart Development
petercmclees@gmail.com
Mobile: 323-854-1713

We help sales reps and sales organizations accelerate their sales. 

A Coaching Habit Let's You Work Less Hard and Have More Impact

When you build a coaching habit, you can more easily break out of three vicious cycles that plague workplaces today:  getting overwhelmed, creating overdependence, and becoming disconnected.

Circle #1: Getting Overwhelmed 

You may be overwhelmed by the quantity of work you have. The faster you dig, the faster the world keeps flooding in. As you're pulled in different directions by proliferating priorities, distracted by the relentless ping of email and rushing from meeting to meeting you lose focus. The more you lose focus, the more overwhelmed you feel. The more overwhelmed you feel. The more overwhelmed you feel, the more you lose focus.

Building a coaching habit will help you gain focus so you and your team can do work that has real impact on your business imperatives and so you can direct your time, energy and resources to solving challenges that make a difference.

Circle #2: Creating Overdependence 

You may also find that you've become part of an overdependent team. There's a double whammy here. First, you've trained your people to become excessively reliant on you, a situation that turns out to be disempowering for them and frustrating for you. And then as an unwelcome bonus, because you've been so successful in creating this dependency that you now have too much work to do, you may also have become a bottleneck in the system. Everyone loses momentum and motivation. The more you help your people, the more they seem to need your help. The more they need your help, the more time you spend helping them.

Building a coaching habit will help your team be more self-sufficient by increasing their autonomy (Within boundaries) and sense of mastery by reducing your need to jump in, take over and become the bottleneck.

Circle #3: Becoming disconnected

Finally, you maybe disconnected from the strategic work that really matter. Leaders need to help people do of the work that has impact and meaning. The more work we do that has no real purpose, the less engaged and motivated we are. The less engaged we are, the less likely we are to do great work.

Building a coaching habit will help you and team reconnect to the work that not only had impact but has meaning as well. Coaching can fuel the courage to step outside the comfortable, can help people learn from their experiences and can literally and metaphorically increase and help fulfill a person's potential.

Check out two related posts.

Coaching Works. Here's Why
The Single Most Expensive Mistake A Leader Can Make

To your greater success and fulfillment,

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant

SMART DEVELOPMENT

Take the Next Step... 

Interested in learning how leadership coaching and training can benefit your organization? We begin with a collaborative discovery process identifying your unique needs and business issues. To request an interview with Peter Mclees please contact: 

Email: petercmclees@gmail.com  or  Mobile:323-854-1713

Smart Development has an exceptional track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, restaurants, stores, distribution centers, food production facilities, nonprofits, government agencies and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength, coaching skills and the teamwork necessary for growth. 

Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.