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How to Coach New Salespeople

November 5, 2016

A position on a sales team is an incredible opportunity for driven individuals—and for your business. Associates often are seen as the face of your company, so it’s vital that they’re well trained and efficient. Even the best workers can benefit from guidance. If you want your sales team to reach its fullest potential, then you need to use the right methods to coach them.

Coaching vs. Managing Sales People

Many companies are finding that hiring an outside coach works better than using an in-house sales manager. Why? It’s simple: each position has a different goal. Sales managers are driven by numbers. They have goals to meet and steer staff in those directions. Dedicated coaches, on the other hand, only want to see employees grow. Their motive is to create capable workers who benefit the company.

Methods the Professionals Use

There are some techniques that encourage growth and show employees that they’re valued. The right pacing and application of information will help them understand that their development is the true goal. When you’re leading your sales team, remember these strategies:

Utilize e-learning and virtual training. Reading handbooks and papers can be tedious, but product knowledge is important in marketing to customers. E-learning allows you to create alternate forms of training, such as videos, slideshows, and even games. When the information is presented in a fun way, your employees are much more likely to remember it.

It’s also hard to coordinate training for an entire sales force, because it leaves no one to attend to customer calls. E-learning takes information on-the-go. Companies like Apple equip their staff with iPads where they can instantly look up specifications for each product. Virtual training allows employees to participate during down time—when they aren’t busy and have time to truly learn.

Keep your instruction short but consistent. Studies have shown that a high volume of training isn’t always the answer. Received this warning when I clicked on this link. Correct or remove the link.

Generally, people can’t absorb large amounts of information at a time. Salespeople are no different. An average of 84% of content is lost after just 90 days. The key is to keep information concise and to offer frequent refresher courses. TED Talks makes great use of this tactic, creating videos that are 15 minutes or less for easy digestion and retention.

Engage in a conversation. Don’t just tell your sales team what to do to meet their sales objectives. Ask them what’s working and what isn’t working. Devise a plan of action tailored to their feedback, and address any issues.

Recognize achievements and offer rewards. People will work hard to achieve their goals. Offer incentives for performance milestones or completing a training refresher. Frequent rewards will encourage employees to meet objectives while boosting morale. Present personalized feedback, such as “you exceeded your sales goal by 30%, here’s an extra day of paid vacation.”

Build a successful environment. Even with personalized rewards, most employees thrive on company-wide recognition. Encourage your employees by implementing practices to tell the whole company when they conquer a milestone.

For example, the enterprise Yesware broadcasts a unique song throughout the whole firm whenever a worker closes a deal. Not only does the entire company hear about the achievement, but they also get up and celebrate with each other. When your environment encourages success and support, it’s easier for people to feel motivated and push harder. Happier and more motivated employees can lead to higher customer satisfaction and increased monthly sales.

Your sales team is vital to your business. When you use these tips, you offer them the highest chance of success and personal growth. Their progress means progress for you too.

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