As Superbowl LVI approaches, along with many folks across the country, we’ve got football on the mind. And especially where it relates to us most in the world of sales… that’s right, coaching.
Sales coaching is often a lot like coaching in professional sports – build a team that is always changing, train, coach and play to win. Let’s take a look at one of the NFL’s most well-known coaches, and what we can learn from him about coaching our own teams.
Belichick’s Approach to Coaching
When asked about Bill Belichick’s “thing” – that special something that makes his coaching distinctive – players and rivals find it hard to pin down exactly what has led to Belichick’s exceptional success as the longest-tenured active NFL coach of the New England Patriots.
Belichick’s eight Super Bowl rings and 17 division titles are a testament to a well-run team that knows how to win. Players describe his program as disciplined, noting that no one wants to disappoint their leader by not knowing something or being ill-prepared for that day’s practice.
When asked to sum up his coaching philosophy, Belichick says things like, “The only way to get better in football is to wear pads and actually play football.”
He chooses players who are not afraid of hard work and discipline, then just lets them go to work. His straightforwardness about what needs to be done and his blunt way of putting things may be the closest thing to a “thing” that he has.
Belichick is indisputably a great coach who is able to keep his team winning, even when their top players, (*ahem* Brady, Gronkowski) leave. In the same way, great sales leaders (coaches) are able to keep their teams on track for success even when high performing reps (star players) leave for other opportunities.
In sales coaching, like Belichick’s coaching style, getting to the bottom line is an advantage. Sales coaches may not be able to choose their sales team members like a football coach can choose players, but sales coaches can choose where to invest their time. They have the power to put their valuable coaching time into the team members who show willingness to learn and grow, rather than those who make excuses and blame others.
Our white paper, “Is it Possible that What You Learned About Coaching is Wrong?” addresses coaching styles that help sales team members determine whether they have the desire to succeed.
Desire Determines Development
Change is difficult – it takes work. When a rep doesn’t have the desire to do the difficult work required to reach a new level of performance, sales coaching is futile. Desire, not talent or skill, is the only ticket required to enter a coaching session. The responsibility of the sales coach/ manager is to be prepared and available – but if the rep is unwilling to put in the effort to improve, what’s the point? And “effort” means more than just going through the motions – if that’s all that happens, change will never occur.
The “fork in the road” is the assignment you both agree upon at the end of every coaching session – a clear action plan that ensures the rep has a specific “homework assignment” to complete before the next session, in order to address and improve a knowledge or skill gap.
Unfortunately, most coaching sessions are little more than discussions about the previous call – with the manager offering a few tips and reminders on how to improve. While it is always helpful to review critical information, “talking” has very little impact on developing new skills and habits. For reps (or anyone for that matter) to change, they have to “do.”
Therefore, every coaching session should end with a clear plan for improvement – a developmental activity with an agreed upon completion date and a specific goal. By drawing a line in the sand, (outlining what is required to improve), a rep’s desire is determined. Attitude is irrelevant; their true willingness is exposed by their engagement in the assignment. Basically, did they do their homework?
This approach opens the door to a whole new way of thinking about where to invest your time. Embracing the idea that desire is a requirement for coaching, and then assessing each rep’s desire to improve, allows you to categorize your team members and develop an effective development strategy for each role.
Summing It Up
Bill Belichick knows that he can’t make any of his players want to do their best, so he tells them like it is and then lets them decide to step up and do it for themselves. His philosophy has created many winning teams and continues to inspire success. The same approach may be what is needed to inspire your sales team.
What Next?
If you found this blog helpful and want to go deeper into the concepts we covered, check out our new book, UnReceptive, at unreceptivebook.com.
Sean Robertson
As VP of Solutions, Sean’s passion is developing and creating a learning experience that emotionally taps into each learner, matches ASLAN’s commitment to excellence, and exceeds our client’s wildest expectations. Find him on: LinkedIn.
