The Need For Coaching Twenty years ago, there were few athletes who were using trained, professional psychologists to help improve their performance and results. You could count on one hand, the number of PGA Tour golfers who used a psychological coach. Today there is probably not a professional golfer who does not have a psychological coach, let alone a ‘swing’ coach and ‘nutritional’ coach. Why such a dramatic transition to coaches? Two words: They Work! The field of sales training is lagging behind the sports world in terms of coaches, but the recognition and need for coaches exists. There is a whole new market of Executive Coaches springing up throughout small, middle, and large size companies to address the belief systems that prevent people from achieving their real potential. Make no mistake about it. Sales skill training is still necessary just as sales activities of new business calls, client retention visits, demonstrations, and proposals. Likewise, sales knowledge regarding products, competition, and marketplace are also critical successful factors. In the end, it is a combination of factors that drive performance results for an individual, sales team, department, and company. The executive coach is just one part of the equation, but a significant part that has been missing from the sales arena. A company or manager can train to their people to death, but in the end, the person has to decide not only their own commitment level to success, but they also need to identify those psychological factors that prevent them from being the best they can be. For example, if a salesperson is reluctant to make new business calls and be a true ‘hunter’ for revenue opportunities, what role do the psychological factors play in his or her hesitation to do so? One of the roles of the executive coach is to discover this call reluctance. How much more successful and profitable would you and/or your business unit be if you had an executive coach to help improve new business prospecting? Canada can be reached by e-mail at rcanada@dartmouthgroup.com. Quote: … one should strongly ask if negotiation is being used as a substitute for effective selling skills. back to article listings