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Effective Meetings are critical to one on one sales coaching

One on one sales coaching is a great tool for improving sales performanceAre you looking to have effective one-on-one sales coaching sessions?

Do your Sales Managers need a template they can follow? One that ensures sales reps and sales leaders are excited about these conversations?

This article focuses on getting the most out of your one on one sales coaching sessions and will cover:

One on One Sales Coaching Meeting Basics

Schedule 30–60 minute calendar block for a 25–45 minute meeting in a defined frequency (weekly, biweekly, monthly).

Create a shared agenda.

Manage expectation (coach and coachee should be ready and in the right mindset for the session).

Meeting duration 25–45 min:

  • Open by creating a safe space and healthy environment
  • Use a structured coaching process and questions (see examples of process and questions)
  • Define action items in writing

After the meeting, buffer time for both before and after the meeting to consolidate high-level thoughts, jot down notes, take a short break, and prepare for the session and the next meeting.

The Session Agenda

Sales managers are often not trained sales coaches. If you want to get them to the next level, consider this meeting template for your coaching sessions.

The Opening

The opening of your coaching conversation sets the tone.  Make sure you cover the 5Cs*.

What are the 5Cs?

Connect – build a relationship for the session.

Contract – agreement on how you want to work together now.

Concern – understanding the issue/problem to focus on.

Clock – time management.

Check-In – how was your week? How are you feeling?

*See AoEC

Review

  • Performance
  • Call Review
  • Activity Review

Here are a few sample questions for this part of the meeting.

  • How do you feel about last week’s activities?
  • Did you try to implement the activities we discussed in our last meeting?
  • For call reviews :
    • How do you feel about this phone call?
    • How was your talk vs. listen to ratio?
    • How well did you connect with your prospect?

Celebrate Wins

  • What went well
  • Cherish small steps as well as more considerable achievements

These questions, and others like them, are worth using during this part of the one-on-one sales coaching session.

  • What are you proudest of since we last met?
  • What worked well?
  • Where did you see a positive impact?
  • How are you feeling based on the changes you made?
  • Do you realize how much you have accomplished?

Pipeline Review

Trust the data but never forget the human factor.

Consider asking about:

  • What are the most critical deals on which you need to focus?
  • What are the factors preventing this deal from moving forward?
  • What is the anticipated timeline?
  • Are you clear on the decision-making process?
  • Is there anything I can do to support you?

Goal Setting and Next Steps

Define specific actions and next steps

And questions for this portion include:

  • What are your top three goals in terms of selling activities?
  • What don’t you want to happen?
  • What are specific actions you want to take? Do you have an action plan?
  • Who can you reach out to for support?
  • What could I do to support you?

Effective One on One Sales Coaching Conversations – Summary

An effective coaching program will positively impact win rates and is one of the best ways, if not the best way, to positively impacting the bottom line.

One on one sale coaching will benefit new reps and the most successful salespeople you already have on your team.

To ensure this is successful, remember that coaching programs are focused on creating positive behavior change — it will not happen overnight. To have the most significant impact to your one on one sales coaching program:

  • Apply structure
  • Have these meetings on a regular basis — this is an ongoing process, not a one and done sales training program
  • Co-create the meeting plan with the coach and the coachee.
  • Personalize the conversation to individual needs

Done well, you will see more confident and successful sales representatives and overall improved sales results.

Get started today.

Keep reading to learn more about sales coaching.

The German version of the article can be found here.

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