The Ten Z’s of Sales Coaching Success
Jack Zenger was one of the first leadership gurus I learned from. His legacy lives through many of the leadership programs we run at ELAvate…. even 25 years later today! Solid skills, solid process, solid leadership growth. Jack grew me as a leader by his innovative leadership.
Jack Zenger and his colleague recently published the results of a study they conducted on the skills that leaders need to succeed. They asked more than 300,000 business leaders to rank the “top ten Z’s” from Zenger’s list of 16 key leadership skills. Let’s see the Z’s and how they might be adapted to support you as a better Sales Coach.
1. Inspires and motivates Sales People
Great Sales Coaches create a compelling vision for each member of his/her sales team and inspires them to achieve it. The vision aligns corporate sales goals and process with the personal inspirations of each sales person.
2. Displays high integrity and honesty
Sales leaders are honest and transparent. They tell the truth and give respectful feedback. John Maxwell defines it well “I am who I am no matter where I am or who I am with.”
3. Solves problems and analyzes issues
Sales leaders, whether coaches or sales people are employed to solve organizational problems for both their customers and their own sales organization. Chally research supports this competence that sales people need both the ability and attitude to be a good analyser and helpful problem solver.
4. Drives for results
Drive for results is sometimes misunderstood. I teach this skill at Samsung Electronics Leadership Center for global sales managers. The effective manager that can drive results is one who communicates goals and process clearly, gives regular coaching feedback, and spends time in the field with his/her sales team growing his sales people’s skills for success.
5. Communicates powerfully and prolifically
The two “P’s” are important in sales coaching. Powerful means clear communication that connects to the mind and heart, and prolifically employs a variety of modes and methods: Face to face, email, texts, audio and virtually. Powerful and Prolifically also denotes regular and consistently.
6. Builds relationships
Sales Success is based on a solid foundation of relationships and trust. Sales people also want to learn from you how to build relationships both with them and with different types of customers. Peter Economy says “The stronger your relationships, the better a leader you will be.” Especially in sales where B2B sales people are always scarce.
7. Displays technical or professional expertise
Sales coaches usually start as sales people. Over their career, they learn and craft their selling skills and the better ones are promoted because of their sales success. All B2B sales people want a sales coach that can “walk the selling skills talk” to help them grow their selling skills and processes to be successful. Doing this links back to the first “Z” in this article.
8. Displays a strategic perspective
Sales Coaches can see the forest and deliver on the trees. They are able to translate the sales organization strategy and vision into “handles” for the sales people to grasp so they can align their sales activities to the sales strategy. Sales coaches can transform “Strategy to Results Through Sales People.”
9. Develops others
Sales Coaches hire for potential and teachability so they can develop strong sales people that are able to “drive results.” John Maxwell in his book “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership states “(Sales) Leaders find a way for the team to win.” Just ask any sports coach on how they develop strong teams – develop players with potential as individual skilful players that can produce to help the team win.
10. Innovates
Isn’t innovation for techies and scientists? How do B2B Sales Coaches inspire and model innovation? Experience tells me that effective sales coaches innovate around being a strategic orchestrator that can collaborate both with the customer, the sales person and the internal corporate support and finance team to put together deals and solutions that are innovative. Sales coaches Innovate for Win3 - a win for the customer, the salesperson and the sales organization.
Take these ten Z’s and employ them in your daily sales coaching for sales success in 2018. Be a winner and help your sales people win with the ten Z’s!
Michael J Griffin
Founder ELAvate
Master Sales Trainer Coach