Taking Control of Your Sales Skill Development – Be Your Own Coach!

There are many things you can do to improve your sales skills such as training, manager coaching, sales books, tapes, and team calling.  But don’t overlook one of the most important things you can do – look back on a situation and self coach.

Self-coaching takes a little time and discipline.  You look in the mirror before leaving the house or a big presentation. Get in the habit of looking into your skill mirror after your sales calls. Build on the training, opportunities and experience that you have had to continue to raise the bar on your performance. 

Even the best athletes who seem to have natural talent have to put in hours of rigorous practice. They know that to maintain their high level of performance it takes continual sharpening of their skills.  The same is also true for every sales professional.

Self Coaching - What to Assess:

Use a set of criteria to streamline the self-coaching process.  See this set of questions that may help trigger your thoughts for each step in the sales call process.  Replay the full call, with a focus on the area(s) that you are trying to develop.  It may help to determine the skill that you are trying to develop ahead of time in your “self-coaching”.  We all have a tendency to focus on what we didn’t do particularly well – so be sure to start with giving yourself credit for the things that you did well! Build from your strengths.