66% of sellers say they would benefit from an external coach. Steve Jobs, Larry Page and others worked with Bill Campbell. Here are my top 5 takeaways.
Thought I would share my top 5 takeaways:

·      Real Connections: Build trust through listening and showing genuine empathy. The importance of Emotional Intelligence is key.

·      Direct/Honest Feedback - similar to ‘Radical Candour’ also by ex-Google exec Kim Scott – direct, honest feedback but with compassion, only really possible when you care.

·      Team over Individual – build trust and collaboration within the team.  Pairing with peers – from my experience that has helped massively - thank you Philippe, Nick, Stuart, Matt...

·      1:1’s rather than open topics have 5 topics each, from manager and the team member – review what is common, prioritise, then move on but focus on performance, relationships, innovation. I liked this approach.

·      Open debate – get everyone’s view and to challenge ideas openly gives best outcomes and the most creativity – no elephants left in the room.

The 'State of Sales Coaching Survey' is understood to be the largest sales coaching survey ever conducted. It includes many fascinating data points and trends such as 1 in 7 AE's get 'no' coaching at all, AE's are getting 50% of the coaching delivered to SDR's and surprisingly more than half the overachieving AE's want more coaching!!

Have a look at the report you can download it here - https://lnkd.in/eMqe_nrP

With the pressure on Sales Leaders to deliver in quarter, constantly increasing targets, ensuring customer satisfaction, the need to progress deals more quickly and ever wider span of control, finding time to deliver real coaching (and I don't mean a deal review or a forecast call) is at times nigh on impossible due to these everyday pressures.

Certainly I was guilty of not truly coaching some of the teams I have worked with, not due to lack of will or wanting the absolute very best for everyone, it was simply difficult to juggle everything. That is matched with the same positive intent from all the managers I have worked with and for.

Using external coaching doesn't replace the importance of internal coaching, it supplements: to add new ideas, focus on skills, career development and to support sales leaders and sellers to be the best they can.

As leaders we are not guilty of anything, it's just juggling everything is difficult and if I wanted to learn to juggle I would ask someone who can!!

As a Spurs fan this is a very painful example though!  However even I have to recognise some pretty dramatic changes with our arch rivals – ‘Boring Boring Arsenal’.

Just over 2 years ago they appointed a specialist set piece coach – Nicolas Jover.  As a football fan, ex-player (workmanlike and only amateur) and a coach myself for my sons’ team.  Clearly with my lack of true footballing pedigree at the higher echelons what do I know but you really would expect Arteta and his other existing coaches could have covered set-pieces!!

That said, the impact the specialist coach has had is massive, last season and already this season they are top on goals scored from set pieces – 22 goals in 2023/4 a 266% increase on the season before his appointment.  They have also conceded less goals from set pieces than any other team in the premier league since his appointment.

I am not sure we can make 266% impact but surely it is worth exploring!