4 Strategies For Coaching The Un-Coachable Salesperson

Article written by Michael Miller.

I’ve been coaching salespeople now for almost 10 years, and while I do love my work, it has had it’s challenges.

I’ve worked rooms where folded arms and blank stares have told me, “I’m not interested in what you are saying.”

I have had people tell me, “My numbers are fine and I don’t know who you are.”

It’s the general nature of humans that we often distrust people we have just met. So part of my job is to get people to trust me quickly.

Beyond my struggles, there are people who are tough to coach. They will fight every suggestion, balk at any strategy and they already know why their numbers are where they are.

Instead of dismissing these people, I often build the program around them, make them essential to program we build. They make me work a little harder, but in the end we are both better for the fight. Here are my personal strategies for Coaching the Un-Coachable.

1 - Make it Personal

Too often I see coaching strategies that are totally technical and cold. Do this don’t do this. Humans are not computers; we have emotions and an inner landscape that makes such coaching not effective. As a coach I’ve learned to dig a bit deeper in my intake period, and learn more about my students before crafting a program.

One of my best and brightest salesmen was at first very resistant to any suggestions. I actually considered cutting him but instead I took him to lunch and was surprised to learn he was a new father, struggling with money and his new role as the sole breadwinner.

What I originally saw as defiance was just fear. His boss and I set up a program for him that allowed him some cushion room and gave him the chance to study and train at home. This bonded him to the company and last I heard he was crushing his numbers.

2 - Try To Change Just One Thing

Often times coaching has too broad of a mission. Change everything about the salesperson.

This is a recipe for failure. Instead we should try to find one area that needs help and then work on this. It’s very important to pull management into this and have them as a partner in the change.

I’ve seen average salespeople become winners just by learning how to use a CRM correctly. My own sales performance changed dramatically by learning Time Management.

Once one area has improved, and then we can use that momentum to move on to other areas that need help.

3 - Let Them Build Their Own Program

As a rule I don’t believe in one-fit-for-all sales trainings. Each program must be built personally for each company and each team. When I meet resistance, from a team or an individual, I often just pull out the blank paper and ask them, “What areas do you think you need help in?

How would you fix these areas?” I try to keep my mouth and big ideas to myself, and I’m often surprised and blown away by what they achieve. The truth is that often they have seen things in the day-to-day world of sales in this particular organization that I could never see.

By making them feel heard, they are empowered. They become part of the solution.

4 - Coach Them Up (Or Coach Them Out)

Sales is not for everyone.

Lots of people get into sales for the wrong reasons (usually money). If you are occupying a sales seat you need to be growing, or you run the risk of someone coming along and taking your job.

Your numbers are your business, but you work at the benefit of your boss. Your movement on the board should always be going up. We all have bad months but looked at on average, we need to see an overall upward movement

My job often is to ask the tough question, “If this job doesn’t work out for you what will you do?” There was an excellent book called “What You’re Really Meant To Do” by Rob Kaplan.

It examined people and the jobs they ended up with at a certain point in their career. I’ve seen so many salespeople who would make excellent managers or customer service reps, but no one has given them this opportunity.

Sales takes a certain personality, and without it, people struggle and they need an ally to help them find another way to make a living.

Coaching Salespeople takes a commitment to the person, but also the craft of selling. It’s more about habits than people often realize, and we can all be coached to higher levels of performance.

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