Sales representatives have strict monthly quotas. Considering that B2B buyers spend only a tiny portion of their time with potential sellers, every interaction the latter has with the former should be impactful, leaving almost no room for error. Sales coaching plays a vital role in enhancing the skills and performance of sales representatives and empowering them to positively impact the overall sales organization in a bigger way. According to LinkedIn State of Sales Report 2020Opens a new window , top-performing salespeople spend time with their managers in training. Many studies conducted in this regard also show a clear correlation between sales coaching and improvement in performance.
ringDNA recently surveyed more than 2,000 sales professionals, including reps, managers, operations, and sales enablement and released the State of Sales Coaching 2021Opens a new window . A key finding from the study is that scaling coaching has become the top priority among sales teams. The following are a few more insights in detail.
Also read: B2B Sales Enablement in 2021: 3 Things Not To Do To Avoid Failure
1. Sales Reps Using Technology Are More Satisfied With Their Coaching
The study showed that sales representatives using conversation intelligence and AI-powered conversation guidance are more satisfied with their coaching. Further, organizations where coaching is effective, are more likely to use sales performance management software and call recording software.
Technology used to get call coaching
Source: State of Sales Coaching 2021Opens a new window
2. Technology Improves Effectiveness of Coaching
Further, it was also seen that using technology improves the effectiveness of coaching. Coaching that comes closest to the real-time scenario provides better results. However, the biggest challenge for coaches is that they lack time. Technology can help in these scenarios by automating certain coaching activities and giving back time to busy coaches. Organizations where coaching is effective, are more likely to have a real-time coaching solution.
3. Coaches Should Use More Channels for Coaching To Stick
According to GartnerOpens a new window , B2B sales reps forget 70% of what they learn within a week. About 87% forget what they learn within a month. This means the lessons have to be reiterated to stick in their minds for a longer duration. One way to achieve this is by using more channels. The study found that reps are more satisfied when they receive inputs and feedback through multiple channels. In addition to 1:1 meetings, they receive inputs over email, Slack, and group sessions.
4. Remote Sales Reps Get Less Coaching
As the world increasingly went to remote working for over a year, coaching became more critical in this virtual environment. However, the study showed that coaching has not scaled to meet the requirements of remote teams and individuals. About 45.2% of reps received less coaching while working remotely. This necessitates the adoption of remote coaching technology in the era of remote or hybrid working.
How much coaching sales reps receive since moving to remote work
Source: State of Sales Coaching 2021Opens a new window
Also read: Boost Sales by Creating Stronger Collaborative Relationships With Customers
5. The Majority of Sales Coaching Time Is Not Data-Driven
The study showed that close to 70% of coaching is not data-driven. About 38.7% of organizations that coach reps on their call performance do so “at randomâ€. About 31.9% of organizations coach their reps only on their most recent calls. Consequently, these companies show low effectiveness in their coaching programs. This indicates that organizations need to rethink how they approach coaching if they want to see better results. A data-driven approach also results in happier reps as they understand the reasons behind their coaching.
6. Regularly Scheduled Sessions Improve Coaching Effectiveness
About 43.1% of respondents said their number one coaching challenge was not having enough time. This affects how regularly scheduled coaching sessions are conducted. About 38.8% said scheduled coaching sessions happen either some of the time or not often, which means scheduled sessions often get skipped.
Interestingly, it was found that organizations where coaching is effective usually have regularly scheduled sessions. In contrast, companies whose coaching is not effective usually do not have regularly scheduled sessions. These organizations offer coaching when reps ask for it. Similarly, reps who are satisfied with coaching (75.6%) said the scheduled sessions happen most or all of the time.
Satisfaction levels with the amount of conversation coaching reps receive
Source: State of Sales Coaching 2021Opens a new window
This suggests that reps value scheduled coaching sessions and the chance to learn and improve from a structured system.
7. Proactive Coaching Improves Effectiveness
One question asked during the survey was, “How do managers/coaches at your company prioritize which reps get coaching?†About 45.4% said it was by performance. Organizations that coach sales reps based on performance instead of when they ask for it are more likely to have improved outcomes. This emphasizes the importance of being proactive in coaching instead of waiting for people to ask for help.
How coaches prioritize which reps get coaching
Source: State of Sales Coaching 2021Opens a new window
8. Most Reps Get Less Than One Hour of Coaching per Week
The study showed that 49.8% of coaches spent less than one hour per week per rep. However, companies that have effective coaching programs spend more time per rep. About 61.4% of the companies spent more than one hour per week on a rep. In contrast, only 38.7% of organizations where coaching is ineffective spend more than an hour per week per rep. While some organizations see this time spent as time away from selling, they should view it as an investment to boost the rep’s overall performance.
9. Organizations With Dedicated Coaches Are More Successful
About 49.5% of respondents said that the coaching responsibility fell on sales managers. However, it was seen that organizations with dedicated coaches are more successful in their coaching programs.
It was also seen that the number of reps per coach also matters. It was seen that about 47.1% of companies have 1-5 reps and 35.8% have 6-10 reps per coach. At the same time, effective programs are likely to have fewer reps per coach. This is primarily because the coach can spend more time with the rep and provide personalized inputs.
Also read: The New Sales Normal: Selling To the C-Suite Buyer
The Takeaway
With B2B customers becoming more selective about how they want to spend their time with sales representatives, it is imperative that the latter sharpen their skills to create an impact with each interaction. And the only way to achieve this is through regular coaching. Further, as Forrester Research predictsOpens a new window , at least 80% of the sales cycle will happen in remote or digital settings. Given that we are increasingly moving into remote or hybrid work culture, it is all the more critical for sales leaders to invest sufficient time in enhancing sales reps’ skills.
As the study shows, proactive and regularly scheduled coaching sessions and using technology can improve the effectiveness of the coaching and the overall performance of the sales rep and the department.
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