Feedback Form
Home Features Mastermind Forums About Advertise Blog Network Contact Be An Author

How to Improve Your Selling Skills with Coaching Skills

How to Improve Your Selling Skills with Coaching Skills

Face it. People don't want to be sold. They're tired of being one of the "suckers" who are supposedly born every minute. They're suspicious; they don't like parting with their money, and to many people, ALL sales people are the same. They know you are after their money. They know you do not have their best interests at heart. They think you are pushy and arrogant… somebody who might sell their own grandmother if it meant a bonus!

But people love being coached. It's respectful and considerate of their needs. it helps them focus on what is right for them. In fact, it's all about them - the client. It doesn't matter to you if you make a sale or not, and they appreciate that… in fact, they just may buy something from you after all… you're so 'nice' and honest!

The days of the old-fashioned salesman/woman have long gone. For many in the sales profession, they know what not to do, but they aren't quite sure about what they should be doing. And the answer is quite simple… learn and apply coaching skills to your selling situations.

H.R. professionals and Managers are embracing coaching skills now because they realize this is the best way to deal effectively and successfully with all types of people. It entails a special honesty and openness that up until very recent times, was not a reputation the sales profession enjoyed. One of the wonderful things about coaching is that it can be applied to anybody in any situation with remarkable results. The reason it works is quite simple. People like to feel respected and honored as intelligent and worthwhile beings. They like to be listened to and understood. They like others to be honest with them and not manipulate them. When you make somebody feel this way, it is very interesting to see how cooperative they become.

As a Sales "coach", instead of worrying about closing the sale, you can relax and coach people into a sale. Instead of struggling with resistant prospects, you can coach them into doing the right thing for you and for them. Once you cease to be pushy, people cease to resist. When coaching a client, rather than selling to them, you listen to what they have to say, and by listening very closely to everything they say rather than thinking about what you will say next, you can learn if they are likely to be a fit for whatever you are selling and how best your product or service may serve them. You will learn what their objections are and whether they are reasonable or something that can be overcome. This process is a gentle, friendly and polite way to do business and it is one to which more people respond favorably.

In essence, people come to see you more as a trustworthy advisor rather than somebody with ulterior motives and your eye on their wallet. Leave your sales pitch in your briefcase… when coaching your customer you start with questions, and then listen very carefully to the answers. Don't speak to them like you would to a ten year old or somebody whose mother language is anything but English. Speak to them as you would to friends. You don't push it if your customer seems anxious to get away. Maybe they are busy and your timing is bad.

When you have listened and learned about your prospective customer's needs and situation, you are in a position to know whether what you can offer will be of real benefit to them. Don't try and recite the sales brochure, just select a few things about what you can offer that apply to their situation. If you were listening closely to them, this part will be easy. Then invite them to take the next step, and don't get anxious at the last minute and resort to hard sales techniques from yester-year in an attempt to close the sale. Leave the ball in the customer's court. Establish your integrity and sincerity first. You have to "sell" the person on YOU first, before you can sell them on your product or service. And it's important to note that people can spot a phony a mile a way. It's better to leave your card, a brochure and other pertinent details with them and invite them to call you at any time, no obligation, if they'd like further information, than undo all your efforts by trying to close the sale with the old traditional methods and risk losing them even as a future customer.

A not so obvious benefit of this approach is even if this customer isn't interested, they may know somebody else who would be. Word of mouth referrals are powerful. Never forget that every prospective customer to whom you speak may be able to bring more business your way. What would you like them to say to their friends about you and your product?

So don't think of yourself as a salesperson in the future… think of yourself as a friendly and trusted advisor, who just so happens to have a particular brand or service he recommends. Never run down your competition. In fact, if you believe your client would be best served by another company's product, you can earn valuable points by telling them about it.

It sounds easy, but when it comes to putting it into practice, these skills do not necessarily come naturally to everybody. But there is no need to despair. There are some excellent training programs around - there are some duds too. It pays to do your research when looking for training. Or if time and money is an issue, you can invest in a home-study coaching kit and learn these skills in your own time. Click here to view information on one of these kits.

It doesn't really matter which method you choose to upgrade your skills, just as long as you do upgrade. "Selling" is so "yesterday" and your customers are much more wiser and savvy than they used to be



Written by Terri Levine, MCC, PCC, MS, CCC-SLP, the Founder ofComprehensive Coaching – The Professional's Coach Training Program, a popular Master Certified personal and business Coach, sought after Public Speaker, and Author of bestsellers "Stop Managing, Start Coaching", "Work Yourself Happy", "Coaching for an Extraordinary Life" and "Create Your Ideal Body". She can be contacted via the web site at: http://www.TerriLevine.com/contact-me.htm or by telephone: 215-699-4949.





How to Improve Your Selling Skills with Coaching Skills - To learn more about this author, visit Terri Levine's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

Article Feedback
 Article Feedback No article feedback found.
  Leave Your Feedback
article feedback

Article Feedback
Dave Kurlan
Dave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website

George Ludwig
George Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website

Linda Richardson
Linda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website

John Brennan
John Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website

David Acheson
David Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns.  David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website

John Alexander
John has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center.
I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website

Anne Barr
Anne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website

Cheryl Matthynssens

Cheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur.  Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well.  A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles.  She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide-  to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being.  Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com

- Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website


To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us.

About The Author


Terri Levine
(Visit Terri's Website) Terri Levine, The Guru of Coaching®, made the transition from senior executive to become one of the top professional coaches in the industry, founded 2 leading coach training programs and developed the world renowned home study coaching kits. She has worked with clients from every walk of life. Terri is a Master Certified Coach. She is also Founder and President of Comprehensive Coaching U and Coach Institute which train and certify coaches internationally and are highly regarded. A prolific writer, Terri's articles appear in various publications and she is the author of several books, including the international bestseller "Work Yourself Happy", "Coaching for an Extraordinary Life", "Create Your Ideal Body" her latest international bestseller "Stop Managing, Start Coaching! and the newly released book "The Successful Coach." She is a sought after Public Speaker, including a featured speaker for organizations and companies around the world. Visit her at: www.TerriLevine.com, www.TerriLevineSpeaks.com, and www.CoachInstitute.com

Terri Levine is a Platinum author on EvanCarmichael.com
About The Author

View Author Blog
View Author Blog

View Author Video
View Author Video

Free Downloads


Terri Levine's

Complete
List Of
Business-Coach
Articles

Name
Email
If you enjoyed this article, get Terri Levine's Complete List of Business-Coach Articles For FREE!

More Terri Levine
Tips to Lessen Anxiety
You Work IN your Business When Do You Work ON it
Creating Success
Ten Ways to Get More out of your Life
10 Ways to put Fun in your Practice
How to Reduce Employee Turnover
How to Simplify Your Life
Top 14 Myths About Coaching
How to Start A Coaching Business From Scratch
Help Im My Own Worst Enemy
Free Downloads


 
 
 


Evan Elite Authors
Stephanie Robey  
George Ludwig  
Jeff Foster  
Evan Elite Authors

Become An Author
Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details.
Become An Author

Evan's Latest Video
Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media
Evan's Latest Video

Business Opportunities
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"

How to Start An Online Business

Click Here To Learn More
Business Opportunities



Evan's Newsletter
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Evan`s Newsletter

Free Downloads
Increasing Coaching Effectiveness Icon Increasing Coaching Effectiveness
Manners, Positivity, Heroics Icon Manners, Positivity, Heroics
Instant Newsletters Icon Instant Newsletters
Power of Concentration Icon Power of Concentration
Business Success By Design Icon Business Success By Design
Free Downloads - Complete List

Entrepreneur Tools and Guides
Top 50 Social Entrepreneur Blogs of 2009
Top Social Business Blogs
Top Social Entrepreneur Blogs
 
Write The Press Release
Write The PR
Press Release Builder
 
Entrepreneur Tools and Guides

SEO For Africa
SEO For Africa
Komi Gaston Agbeve Agoe, Togo,
SEO For Africa

If I Were A Startup...
Stephen Pollack, $1.2 to $16.2 Mil in 3 Years
Stephen Pollack
$1.2 to $16.2 Mil in 3 Years
Erez Zevulunov, $150k to $504k in 2 years
Erez Zevulunov
$150k to $504k in 2 years
If I Were A Startup... - Complete List

Famous Entrepreneurs
Gordon Moore Robert Noyce, Intel
Paul Newman, Newman's Own
Paul Newman
Newman's Own
Famous Entrepreneurs - Complete List

Entrepreneur Advice
Donald J. Trump, Trump University
Donald J. Trump
Trump University
Guy Kawasaki, The Art of the Start
Guy Kawasaki
The Art of the Start
Entrepreneur Advice - Complete List

Popular Articles
(Premium Authors)

     10 Facebook Tips for Professionals
By Bill Sweetman
     Does Your Domain Name Have a Dirty Secret?
By Bill Sweetman
     The Biggest Domain Name Myth
By Bill Sweetman

Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

More Evan Carmichael
More Information