When a salesperson brings you a stalled deal, it’s tempting to tell them exactly what to do. You have experience. You can see a path forward. Giving advice feels efficient.
But if every deal needs your input, your team may be learning to wait for answers instead of working through challenges themselves.
Training tells. Coaching develops thinking.
Training gives salespeople information and skills they can use. Coaching helps them decide how to apply those skills in a real situation.
That difference matters. A manager who always provides the answer may resolve today’s issue, but the salesperson may come back with the same question next time. Over time, the manager becomes a required step in every deal.
Good coaching helps salespeople build confidence in their own judgment. Instead of taking over the conversation, ask questions that help them assess what’s happening and choose their next move.
A simple structure for sales coaching:
Assess the situation. What’s happening in the deal?
Identify the action needed. What does the salesperson believe needs to happen next?
Agree on next steps. Get specific about the plan.
Put the plan into action.
Follow up. Discuss what happened and what the salesperson learned.
The salesperson still owns the opportunity. The manager provides structure and support without doing the thinking for them.
Build a team that can think through challenges
The next time a salesperson asks what to do, pause before giving them your answer. Ask what they think is happening. Then help them evaluate their options and commit to a next step.
That’s sales coaching. It helps people handle the current deal while building their ability to manage the next one.
Be conscious of this: Are you coaching your sales team, or creating dependency?
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Leadership Training and Sales Coaching in Mississauga with Robin Singh
Robin Singh of Sandler Mississauga helps sales managers improve their coaching skills and strengthen team performance. Through practical leadership training, managers learn how to coach salespeople to think through challenges, take ownership of their opportunities, and build confidence in their decisions. Explore sales coaching and leadership development in Mississauga with Robin Singh.
