The Coaching Effect Blog

There are times in our sales leadership career when we have the opportunity to do something special, the chance to catapult our skills and also the skills of those with whom we work, and truly make a difference in the lives of those on our teams.

It’s my hope that if you are a sales leader reading this week’s blog post that you are doing so from a beautiful dock by a lake – you deserve it you know. As we head into the 4^th of July I figure it is only appropriate to keep this post short, sweet, and very anecdotal. Mostly because I know many of you have already checked out for the weekend, but I too am heading out of the office to enjoy some relaxation having just closed the books on yet another successful year at the EcSell Institute.

A few days back I came across a quote from John Russell, Managing Director at Harley-Davidson that caught my eye. He said, “I never cease to be amazed at the power of the coaching process to draw out the skills or talent that was previously hidden within an individual, and which invariably finds a way to solve a problem previously thought unsolvable.” 

My 8-year-old, Miles, is on a traveling baseball team and this Spring they are selling raffle tickets to raise money for their uniforms, tournament entry fees and other expenses.  My husband, always in his “Sales VP” mode, decided this was a great opportunity to develop what he is sure is our son’s budding potential as a future sales superstar.  Excited about his plan, I listened in as he coached Miles through each step in the sales process.

First, Miles had to identify his target market.  Like any astute kid, Miles knew right away who was likely to most easily part with their money for him – his big collection of grandparents!  After he had identified his prospects, Miles’ next step was to create his sales script.  My husband helped him think through what he wanted to say about his purpose and the benefits of what he was selling.  Next, Miles did a little role play with me and I had to laugh when he finished his pitch by saying “How many raffle tickets can I put you down for?”  Miles took my laughter as him doing something wrong, so I reassured him that I really liked how he assumed the sale, rather than asking for it.  Finally, Miles practiced his upsell by letting me know that I could increase my chances of willing by purchasing another ticket, which also drew a chuckle from me, but one which I quickly stifled so he wouldn’t think he was doing something wrong.

Tom Cates, President of Brookeside Group, was a featured instructor at our spring Sales Coaching Summit in Austin, TX. In today's competitive landscape, organizations that understand how to become a trusted advisor, in the eyes of their customers, will win. The financial benefits are considerable. Here are the highlights from his Summit session.

EcSELL Institute 6 Pillars of Sales Productivity Pre-Summit Workshop Session Overview

Posted by Kristi Shoemaker

Posted by Kristi Shoemaker, EcSELL Institute

EcSELL Institute recently announced its latest sales management assessment tool called COMPASS. COMPASS is a tools and process assessment for sales departments.  Based on your answers to a series of thought provoking questions, EcSELL Institute will provide insight into a department’s strengths and opportunity areas.