How To Start Your Sales Coaching Journey

Sales coaching is a process of helping individuals to acquire the skills and knowledge to increase their performance in sales. The process involves guidance, feedback, and support to help them become more effective in their job. 

Throughout today’s article, we will review everything related to sales coaching, starting with who the sales coach is and ending with how to start online sales coaching. 

So if you are ready to find out more, let’s start! 

Benefits of sales coaching

Sales coaching is a powerful tool that can help sales teams reach their goals. Businesses want sales coaches to train their sales teams in order to improve the productivity & efficiency of sales strategies and gain real-time results meeting various KPIs. Thus, this coaching niche is always in demand. 

In today’s reality, coaching can become a sufficient income stream that eliminates the need for 9 to 5. 

Benefits

Well, what are the main benefits of sales coaching for businesses, individuals, and of course, coaches? Let’s review. 

• Time Flexibility
• Location freedom. 
• Self-fulfillment & Increased Job Satisfaction. Coaching is one of the most self-fulfilling professions. You not only coach the sales team to profit, but you also get to witness their progress, growth & results they achieved through your help & guidance. 
• As a sales coach, you can help salespeople develop better communication skills, understand customer needs better, and close more deals.
• Improves your sales skills. As a sales coach, you get to face various challenges sales teams are facing and take a big part in helping them to resolve those, thus improving your sales skills. 
• Benefits organizations as they gain highly trained workers that increase sales and, therefore profits 
• Improves employee behaviors
• Allows individuals to learn high-income skills to change their careers, start a new career or get a promotion.

So, if you have been in marketing & sales for years, love the process of training & coaching others, and are ready to start sharing your expertise with wider audiences as well as profit from it, this niche is for you. 

Sales coaching challenges

There is a number of challenges that a sales coach might face throughout sales coaching. Let's review the main ones. 

• Lack of time. Sales coaches may not have enough time to work one-on-one with each salesperson. With a growing client database, it also becomes harder to manage work-life balance. You can consider B2B collaborations in this scenario where you will collaborate with 2-3 companies and work directly with teams and not individuals (B2C).
• Tracking can be time-consuming and hard. As a sales coach, you may not have access to all of the data to evaluate a salesperson's performance and provide constructive feedback. Yet, if you choose a platform that offers analytics tools, this challenge will be resolved. 
• Resistance to change. Salespeople may be resistant, especially if their manager just comes in and tells them that they must go through the new training program. Thus they may not want to try new techniques or change their approaches. Good communication skills & patience will help you out. 
• Keeping up with the latest market trends. Sales is a dynamic industry, and with all the changing trends, it can be hard to keep the training materials, techniques, and advice as a professional relevant to the current market. Yet, this challenge is easy to overcome. You must always find time to invest in your education. 

Can sales coaching be online?

Sales coaching or any other type of coaching can be hosted online. In fact, with the advances in technology, online coaching programs are rather more convenient and relevant to today's market. 

The main benefits of online sales coaching are 

• Convenience & flexibility. Salespeople and coaches can join from anywhere they find comfortable.
• Cost-efficiency. Online sales coaching is cost-effective as it saves resources on renting a space and purchasing physical equipment for successful sessions and transportation. 
• Tracking & measurement is a lot easier with the help of various platforms and analytics tools. 

The market for sales coaching

Throughout the following paragraphs, we will review the current market of sales coaching (both online & offline). The revision is based on research, statistics & data available. 

Market demand

Average monthly searches for sales coaches are around 10k-100k. These numbers definitely indicate the high demand in the industry. 

With other statistics that measure the potential market size growth of eLearning (expected annual growth from 2021 to 2028 is 7.5%),we can learn that online coaching market demand is going to grow. Accordingly, so offline one will decrease. 

Competition

With the expected growth of online sales coaching demand, you must also expect competition growth. 

For instance, in the screenshot below, you can see the data that presents searches for sales coaches across industries. Note that ad cost is higher for “personal sales coaching” and “sales coaching” but not for “sales coach.” This shows medium competition. 

Also, we can see in the competition column that competition for the particular key phrases ranks between medium and high. The three-month change is at 0%. 

It is possible to well-optimize the page to rank properly with organic and paid marketing tactics to reach the right audience and get clients for your sales coaching program. 

Main responsibilities

Although the responsibilities vary depending on the organization and clients, the primary responsibilities of sales coaches are 

• Training development & proper delivery. First of all, you must develop a good program outline, learning outcomes, and objectives. A good outline will ensure the high quality and efficiency of the training. Of course, as a facilitator, you must also choose the proper tools & equipment to use throughout the training and deliver the training in an appropriate style. 
• Identification of needs. When you get hired by a company or an individual, you need to assess their current level of skills and knowledge. This will allow you to gather information based on which you will be able to customize/create appropriate training that meets clients’ needs & expectations. 
• Monitoring progress & providing feedback on time. As a trainer, you are responsible for students’ progress. Thus track their progress and development, as well as provide feedback that will help them to improve. 
• Help coachees to improve. Your main goal as a sales coach is to increase productivity & improve the performance of the salespeople you are coaching. 
• Sales process management support. You also must help the trainees to understand the overall sales processes better and support them in decision-making processes. 
• Building & maintaining relationships. A good entrepreneur always works on proper relationship building and management with their clients. 

These are your top responsibilities as a coach. 

5 steps to start online sales coaching

It is time to move to the practical steps you can take to start online sales coaching. 

Step 1 - Define your target market

If you want to succeed in your business, you must know to who you are selling the product. Indeed as an expert in sales, you already know this. Yet, let’s do a quick overview. 

1. Define your target market & segment it. Use Google Analytics, Semrush, conduct market research & competitor analysis, etc. 
2. Create an Ideal Client Persona based on which create 5-10 potential Buyer Personas.
3. Use the Buyer Personas to create different tactics for reaching each of them, set up proper email sequences, and create content that each group will be happy to consume. 

Afterward, you can start writing your marketing strategy. As a new product - Go to Market Strategy. It must include the short, mid, and long-term goals of your business alongside tactics to reach them. 

Step 2 - Define Pain Points & Address Them

If you want to sell a product, offer a solution. 

Identifying your target market will help you identify your buyer personas’ pain points. Thus, create a value proposition canvas on how you will solve these. Afterward, using the data on the canvas, incorporate these solutions into your marketing campaigns

All of these will help you to position yourself properly in the market. 

Step 3 - Create the program 

Start with the creation of your first program. 

First of all, identify the learning outcomes and goals. Afterward, create an outline for the sales coaching program. This will allow you to better understand what topics must be covered so that students achieve the originally intended goals of the course. 

Finally, it will be time to create training materials, such as eBooks, audio materials & others. You can gather and display third-party resources & tools that will help the sales team boost their knowledge in certain aspects of the industry and ease up the process through automation. 

For instance, part of your program can be dedicated to teaching students how to use a CRM or Sales Tool, e.g., SalesForce. 

Step 4 - Choose a Platform 

As a sales coach, you will need a website. The website will provide you with

• Visibility & brand awareness
• Allow you to display your products & services in an organized manner 
• Give you a medium where you can share your experience & take advantage of organic & paid marketing tactics 
• Allow you to collect & display past clients’ reviews, thus increasing the trust factor toward you as a coach 

There are plenty of website builders available with which you can build a potent website. Yet, if you want a full-featured coaching business website is not enough. We recommend a potent automation & LMS platform. 

An example of a good LMS automation is Uteach. It equips you with features such as:

• Drag & Drop Website Builder, Themes & Pre-made templates 
• Course Builder 
• Blog & SEO-friendliness 
• Marketing Features 
• Automation to save your time 
• Security 

Step 5 - Gather Feedback 

At the end of the day, in order to grow as a professional, you must be open to criticism and feedback. Collect feedback from your clients and make constant improvements to your training programs. 

Needed skills for online sales coaching

Let’s also review the skill set that a good online coach must have. 

Hard Skills 

Let’s review the hard/professional skills you must have:

• Teaching & Training skills
• Problem-solving & analytical skills
• Time management skills
• Marketing & Sales Skills
• In-depth knowledge of your industry
• Product knowledge 

Soft Skills

Besides professional skills, you also must be equipped with skills such as:

• Communication skills
• Interpersonal skills 
• Emotional Intelligence 
• Relationship building skills
• Leadership skills 

All of these skills play a key role in the success of the overall program. Thus, make sure to develop them. 

FAQ about sales coaching

Finally, it is time to review and answer the most common questions about sales coaching. Are you ready? Well, then, let’s dive into it. 

Can I start the sales coaching with minimum investments?

Yes, you can start online sales coaching with minimum investment. Those investments include platforms and online tools. In some cases, if you do not already own these, you will also need to get a white/green background, a good camera, and a microphone. 

For paid marketing strategies, you also will need to have a marketing plan and budget. 

Do I need certification for creating sales coaching?

Yes and no. 

If you are a professional with years of expertise in the field, plus you are good with coaching & training others, you are good to go. Just practice more in order to deliver more structured training. 

Yet, if you are unaware of what coaching is, styles, and proper delivery tips, then you may as well get training for coaches. 

The key here is that you must deliver quality and give value. Thus you must be not only good at what you do but also good as a coach. 

In any case, certification will help you showcase your credibility as a coach, so it is beneficial yet optional to get to start virtual coaching. 

What is the difference between sales coaching and sales training?

Oftentimes people confuse sales coaching and sale straining. Yet, there are key differences between these two. 

Sales training’s main focus is to provide the knowledge & skills that salespeople need to succeed. It is good for beginners, mid-level professionals, and even experienced salespeople. Training provides trainees with tools for further implementation and success in general. 

Meanwhile, sales coaching is a continuation of sales training. For instance, you mostly work with established sales professionals and help them to implement the knowledge & skills they have learned from training in their specific cases. Coaching also involves processes throughout which you help individuals and teams to identify challenges and obstacles they face and assist them in overcoming those. It also includes goal setting, result tracking, and success measurement. 

How much does it cost to create sales coaching?

The cost varies depending on a variety of factors. For instance, offline coaching will be more expensive than online. 

In online sales coaching, usual costs are associated with:

• Platform, e.g., Uteach plans vary from $39 to $179/mo
• Equipment. You can use your phone’s or laptop’s camera or get a good webcam for under $100.
• Microphones. Small microphones are good for online training & video conferencing and cost under $50. 
• Other tools you may need, such as for presentation design & collaborative learning experience, vary in between $12 to $49/mo. 

So, the cost of online sales coaching creation will be around $200-$300. It is a very cost-efficient StartUp. 

How much can I earn with selling sales coaching?

Your earning potential strictly depends on you and your professionalism. 

Sales coaches can earn around $100 per hour. Yet, if you are a professional and on-demand coach the hourly rate can be up to few thousand dollars. 

On a monthly or program basis, prices vary between $500-$1000 (beginners) and $1000-$3000 (intermediate-advanced coaches). If you offer 1:1 sessions or customizable training plans and are an established professional, you can offer prices from $3000-5000/mo. 

For group coaching, remember that the price is usually 30% less per individual than for 1:1. 

How to measure sales coaching effectiveness?

The effectiveness of sales coaching is challenging to measure. Yet, establishing proper KPIs and finding a tool that offers an “analytics” feature will help you a lot. 

Here are some key metrics to consider when measuring the effectiveness of sales training:

• Client satisfaction rate, whether it is B2B or B2C. 
• Sales activity tracking, e.g.,. Calls, emails, appointments 
• Sales performance such as revenue, number of deals closed, win rate, etc. 
• Sales pipeline changes. Also, track & measure sales pipeline changes, as this is one of the key indicators of training’s success. Meanwhile, data such as the number of new leads generated, opportunities, etc.
• ROI rate. This one is mostly for you. Calculate whether resources & time invested for the training brought you a good return on investment made. 

How long does it take to create a sales coaching program?

The length of time it takes to create a sales coaching program will depend on the complexity and scope of the program. Depending on how much research, planning, and implementation is needed, it could take anywhere from several weeks to several months.

Monetize Your Skills Online

Take your first step toward success with Uteach! 

Imagine getting your professional website done faster than light travels from the Sun to the Earth. With Uteach, you can automate many processes. 

As a result, you will be able to dedicate MORE time to creating & selling whatever you want: courses, products, coaching, training, and webinars. Triple your income with bundles and memberships. 

You can access special features such as a website & course builder, built-in SEO, live functionality, fully-automated coaching,  integrations, and even your local payment gateway. 

Many online learners are waiting for you to light their way. So, stop hesitating and start right away!