And the unmotivated reps? The spark of desire might ignite when the weight of improving their performance rests squarely on their shoulders\u2014where it should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have something to share that will save you countless hours of wasted time and motivate your team: You are coaching the wrong people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe this sounds a little assumptive, but I\u2019m basing this bold statement on 25 years of sales consulting. And without fail, when asking managers who they coach, the answer is always the same: everyone. And that, my friend, may be the biggest leadership myth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s not a mistake to care about everyone on your team. It\u2019s not a mistake to buy everyone a birthday present. It\u2019s not a mistake to consistently meet with each person. But it is a mistake to coach every team member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before I unpack this seemingly harsh statement, it might help if we get on the same page about the definition of coaching. Coaching, in my opinion, is working one-on-one with an individual to practice and eventually develop a new skill. The coach helps diagnose the performance gap, prescribes the developmental activities, supports the practice, encourages the rep, and holds the rep accountable to complete the process until the new skill is formed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is only one thing required from the rep before you decide to invest your (very limited) time in their development: Desire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Change is hard. Unfortunately, way too many coaches are more committed to change than their team members are. They show up for \u201cpractice,\u201d dragging their reps with them\u2014like a mom forcing their kid to do homework. But if a rep doesn\u2019t bring desire to the coaching session, the results are disappointing. Why? Because you can\u2019t do it for them. If they don\u2019t want to improve their ability to present your solution, learn to qualify more effectively, or work on whatever skill they\u2019re lacking, you are wasting your time. Coaching can only help a rep achieve something they want to achieve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another way to say it, you can\u2019t force someone to learn a new skill. You can force someone to show up for a meeting, comply to your operational standards, but not learn and master a new skill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This begs the question; how do you know if a rep has the desire to change?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I can think of no better way than to focus on what they do and not what they say. The mouth can fool you, but the feet can\u2019t. If you assign a developmental activity to shore up a performance gap, one of two things will happen: They will either do it, or they won\u2019t. If they do it, they possess the desire to change. If not, they don\u2019t. It\u2019s that simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But don\u2019t give up after one failed attempt. Just let them know that you’re ready when they are. If things go quiet, their motive is clear. Once you realize you have a motivation problem, it\u2019s time to switch hats from coach to leader. As a leader, you should determine the barriers to change, and find the connection between developing a new skill and something the rep wants. Perhaps an honest discussion about below par results would be useful. But coaching\u2014that\u2019s by invitation only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Headshot](\"https:\/\/www.sales30conf.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/TomStanfill.png\" "\\"Tom_Stanfill_Headshot\\"\/")
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