As a sales leader, it’s your responsibility to motivate your sales team and drive sales results. You need to build a talented team of sales professionals and provide ongoing sales coaching and training. You should continue to develop your team’s talent. Many sales leaders and managers insist they don’t have the time for sales coaching, they’re not sure how or what to coach, or they don’t have the right tools and resources for effective sales coaching. These excuses are the reasons your sales team isn’t getting the results you want. Stop making excuses and make sales coaching a priority. We’ve come up with a list of five sales coaching tips to lead you and your sales team to success.

1. Develop Talent

So you’ve managed to round up a great group of experienced and talented sales professionals. You need to continue to train your salespeople. Provide them with the sales coaching they need to succeed. Sales coaching isn’t just for new hires. Check in with your team regularly, identify sales training needs, assess sales processes, and introduce new sales tactics. Remember to adapt your training techniques and sales coaching methods to meet your trainees’ needs.

2. Set Specific Goals

As a sales leader, you should develop and set specific goals for individual team members that align with company goals. By setting specific goals, you will be able to track progress more effectively. Your sales team will have a clear understanding of your expectations and they will be motivated to meet and exceed these expectations. If goals are not met, do not consider this a failure. This is a sales coaching opportunity. Review sales practices and make improvements.

3. Use Social Media

Take advantage of social media. Get your salespeople online. Encourage your team to use social media for professional purposes. Work closely with your marketing department to ensure valuable content is being created for sales reps to share on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to generate sales leads. Salespeople should use social media to interact with customers and potential buyers. Provide social media training if necessary. Your prospects and your competition are using social media, so why aren’t you?

4. Focus on Progress

Many sales leaders focus solely on results. You should take the time to sit down and review progress as well. Ask for progress reports, ask if your sales team needs assistance or advice, and make changes to the sales process if something is no longer working. By helping your sales reps along the way, they will be more likely to achieve hit their sales targets. They will also have more confidence knowing that their sales leader will be there to help if they encounter any obstacles.

5. Give Effective Feedback

Great sales leaders give sales reps effective feedback. Encourage your sales team to meet their sales targets by recognizing and rewarding their successes. An incentive program can go a long way when it comes to motivating sales professionals. Salespeople want to be recognized for their hard work. You can use financial rewards and/or non-monetary rewards to show your appreciation. Some sales leaders think it’s a good time to slip in some criticism after congratulating someone. This is not the time. This only undermines the accomplishments, defeating the purpose entirely. Remember, feedback is meant to help. When you give effective feedback, you will develop more trusting relationships with your team members. 

It’s up to you to keep your sales team motivated. Provide continuous training to develop their talent and help them meet sales targets. You can’t sit back and expect improvements. And you shouldn’t blame your sales reps for a dip in sales. Assess your current sales strategies and update your sales tactics. Develop talent, set specific goals, start social selling, focus on progress, and give effective feedback. Use these sales coaching tips to lead you and your sales team to success.