Almost every sales leader I know all make the same mistake when they’re trying to coach their sales reps.
They treat “rep coachability” as a static and fixed trait that doesn’t change. Instead of treating it as a highly variable trait that changes every single day.
It’s called Coach-ABLE, which means, how ABLE is a seller to be coached.
Here are some questions to illustrate why a seller might be LESS ABLE to be coached one day versus another:
After a night of poor sleep, how much new information do you retain in a conversation?
Hardly any.
If you don’t exercise for two weeks, do you feel sluggish or energized amongst others?
Sluggish.
If you just suffered a difficult setback, are you more likely to be engaged or disengaged?
Disengaged.
If you’re angry at a client, how easy is it to pay attention and listen to others?
Extremely difficult.
If you’re highly stressed and under a deadline, how receptive are you to feedback?
Not receptive at all.
How ABLE someone is to be coached changes every day based on their Mental State.
If you’re trying to coach a seller who is sleep deprived, anxious, stressed and overwhelmed, which is usually when leaders lean more heavily on coaching…
It’s going to be a frustrating experience that is ineffective for both parties.
Many leaders then make the mistake of labelling a seller as “not coachable” versus remaining curious and asking this very important question:
“Why might this person be LESS ABLE to be coached today?”
As a leader, your first priority when coaching reps needs to be getting them back to a baseline state in which they’re ABLE to be coached.
Actually coaching them comes second.
About The Author
Jeff Riseley is currently the Founder of the Sales Health Alliance and Mental Health Advocate. With over a decade of sales experience – Jeff understands the importance of Mental Health in achieving peak sales performance.
Jeff combines his sales and Mental Health expertise to improve sales performance through mental health best practices. His strategies have helped sales teams become more motivated, resilient and better equipped to tackle stressful events within sales.
