In my recent survey on coaching preferences, the majority surprised me by favouring the enabling coaching style, e.g. “How well did you think the call went, have you identified any issues we can focus on to build a need to change?”
This inclination towards enabling coaching was unexpected. Probably because I hear many conversations about the need to be pragmatic and use directive or guided coaching methods. Sales managers often resort to directive approaches, positioning themselves as superheroes swooping in to save the day—leaving little room for developmental coaching.
Then I had my lightbulb moment: the majority of respondents were either sales executives or people who, to be honest, think as I do. It was sales leaders who showed a bias towards directive forms of coaching, whilst sales executives, especially high performers, shared a preference for enabling coaching.
Two sides of coaching:
1. Coaching as a development and reinforcement tool: This approach focuses on long-term growth and individual improvement. It emphasises reflection, understanding, and continuous learning, catering to high performers seeking self-discovery and mastery.
2. Focused feedback for immediate results: On the other hand, some view coaching as a means to achieve short-term objectives and win specific opportunities. It’s akin to running a play in sports—an immediate, situational approach to achieving a goal.
Everyone has a slightly different take on what coaching is about, but all are focused on the outcome they are trying to achieve. A range of definitions from different sources reinforces my point…
International Coaching Community defines it as:
- To help a person change in the way they wish and help them go in the direction they want to go.
- Coaching supports a person at every level in becoming who they want to be.
- Coaching builds awareness empowers choice and leads to change.
Mentoring Group defines it as:
- Coaching is a method of achieving set goals.
- The coach through dialogue helps the coachee (client) to correctly set a goal, find the best way to achieve the goal and reveal the hidden inner potential in a person.
- The coach does not say how to achieve success but asks questions through which the client discovers their own solutions.
The Cambridge dictionary defines the word “coaching” as
- “the job or activity of providing training for people or helping to prepare them for something”.
The pattern is that some see coaching as purely an enabling exercise and others see it as part of the training process – directing or guiding people to the approved answer.
While both styles of coaching have their merits, it’s crucial to understand the underlying needs and preferences of sales professionals and be truly adaptable in your approach.
Coaching as a development and reinforcement tool
High performers are not looking to be given answers, instead, they want to reflect and build their best practice. If they talk to an “expert” they are looking to ask, not be told.
Remember that high performers tend to:
· Be driven
· Show initiative and agility
· Be great communicators
· Like clarity of outcome
· Be self-developers
· Have behavioural awareness of both self and others
With these traits, they want to own their actions, not be told how to do things, even if they are happy to be told what outcomes to achieve. High performers thrive in environments that foster autonomy, self-discovery, and continuous improvement. Enabling coaching provides them with the tools and support to maximise their potential, creating a culture of talent development and mutual respect.
Focused feedback for immediate results
The reality involves balancing immediate business needs with long-term development goals. Sales managers, driven by targets and outcomes, may lean towards directive coaching to ensure short-term success. This creates a potential disconnect between coaching objectives and the expectations of sales executives.
Here’s what’s going on here:
As your coach, I understand what steps are necessary for us to achieve our goals. I’ll observe your actions, providing feedback on areas that need improvement and guiding you on how to correct them. Typically, this process revolves around advancing a sale, where I’ll outline the path forward along with associated timelines. Why do I do this? Because your success directly impacts mine; as a Sales Manager, my achievements are intertwined with yours. I’m invested in your triumphs, not your failures. Therefore, I’ll always provide clear direction to ensure your success.
In simpler terms: I am paid by all my salespeople selling enough so that I achieve my team target. I am not necessarily paid to develop you, so I will do that once I am confident we will hit the target.
How can we make sure we deliver enabler coaching?
I am going to suggest a 3-step process.
- Define the intent – differentiate sessions that are about development from those that focus on a specific activity/event.
a) Call them out for what they are:
i. Today I am accompanying you for us to identify what needs to happen to win the deals in your pipeline
ii. Let’s have a coaching session to help you develop, what is the topic you would like to focus on, what is your goal…
2. Be adaptable – even if you are focused on a specific event/activity, be adaptable and let the reality of what you observe dictate whether you direct, guide or enable.
a. Start by understanding the needs of the individual, some people just want to be told what to do, and others will always do the opposite if you tell them what to do.
b. If you see the salesperson making no attempt to do something, then they do not know what they are doing, direct them on how to address this.
c. If you see them trying but not quite hitting the mark, then guide and try and have an enabling discussion.
d. If they are trying to go from good to great, then enable them and support them through their voyage of self-discovery.
3. Be aware of the business reality – If you, as the coach, are under pressure to achieve specific outcomes, your personal requirements will always impact your approach. To put it bluntly, it’s impossible to talk about the long-term development of an individual when you are watching your bonus disappear as they fail to convert their pipeline.
a. Consider splitting the developmental coaching responsibility from the pipeline, opportunity coaching discussions.
i. Sales Manager focuses on the activities directly linked to revenue
ii. A performance or development coach focuses on the long-term development
In summary
The survey highlighted that there’s a potential disconnect between what the Sales Manager thinks coaching is trying to achieve and what the sales executive is looking for.
The more pressure a sales manager comes under the more they will resort to directive and guiding coaching to drive results now, leaving the development of the sales executive to later.
The organisation may see value in creating an engaging and supportive employee experience and strive to provide development and growth opportunities for all employees. But if the Sales Manager is solely rewarded on achieving targets then we create a disconnect.
Rather than changing how we focus our sales managers, let’s be pragmatic and:
1. Clearly restate the objective of “coaching activities” to separate out the developmental session from the “win business” activity.
2. Ensure that coaches are adaptable and use enabling approaches only when appropriate.
3. If developmental coaching is imperative consider having a coach who is not linked to the performance of the coaches.
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