Some Popular Sales Coaching Models

There are a variety of sales coaching models to choose from, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. OSKAR, GROW, and CLEAR are the three most popular sales coaching models for the sales team.

• OSKAR Coaching 

The OSKAR sales coaching model is a result-oriented framework that stresses achievement and advancement. To apply the model in your coaching conversation, follow the steps below:

• Objective: “What do you want to accomplish?” inquire your salesperson. What a problem or issue should we tackle, and what would it look like if we solved it successfully?”
• Scale: On a scale of one to ten, ask the salesperson how close they are to addressing the problem. It will reveal to them and to you how hopeful or pessimistic they are about finding a solution to the situation.
• Knowledge and proficiency: What do your salesperson require to proceed over? Do they require assistance in conquering specific objectives?
• Acknowledge and Act: Affirmation can assist your sales professional feel more confident in their current abilities. Define the exact steps that your sales rep will do as a consequence of this chat. Coaching Plans, which specify the final goal, are a simple method to do this. Make sure the activities are detailed and have a timeline attached to them.
• Review: Review the talk for a moment. This is a good moment to observe and complement your sales rep on their accomplishments. “I observed that you didn’t try to hide the problem; you named it and took responsibility,” for example.

OSKAR sales coaching model might be a beneficial model for sales agents. The aim remains the same: to come up with a concrete action plan and deadline.

• GROW Coaching Model 

The GROW sales coaching model is the most extensively utilized, and it entails the following steps: 

• Goals: Define your aims and goals. The majority of the objectives are SMART objectives or process objectives. Process goals are concerned with developing the habits or procedures required to attain those SMART goals and objectives.

• Reality: You’re having this discussion because the rep failed to meet the target or has a skill gap that needs to be filled. What is causing your sales staff to feel stuck or fall short of their goals right now?

• Options and hurdles: Examine your choices for dealing with the roadblocks that stand in your sale rep’s way of achieving their stated objectives. Take some time to explore together if the remedy isn’t immediately apparent. 

• Way forward: This final step is critical to a successful coaching discussion. What specific steps should the rep take to overcome or move past the current hurdles? What schedule will they stick to? What kind of help or accountability do they require to make this happen?

The GROW model can be tailored to your sales organization’s specific processes and objectives.

Using GROW Sales Coaching Model to Coach a Salesperson 

• Goals and objectives: Make sure you give your sales rep the authority to set their own targets. They will be more eager to adapt and put in the necessary efforts. You may need to ask further questions to explain the objective or make sure it aligns with the goals of your business or department.

• Reality: Ask questions like, “What do you see as the main reason or reasons why you haven’t achieved this goal yet?” as you discuss the current situation. What have you attempted so far? The goal here isn’t to accuse or make the sales rep feel like they shouldn’t have a problem; rather, it’s to create an open and honest environment in which they can see opportunities for improvement and feel comfortable sharing them with you.

Allow your sales rep the time and space to reflect honestly and earnestly. Slow down the conversation and ask a follow-up question, such as, “The way you’re answering makes me think you’ve thought about this before,” if you suspect there’s more than the sales rep is sharing. I’m wondering if there’s anything here that you haven’t considered yet. Take a moment to consider it thoroughly. “What stands in your way of achieving this goal?”

• Options and hurdles: Employees may require nothing more than a sounding board to identify hurdles and alternatives. Remember to turn the subject around and allow them to choose which alternatives makes sense to them. Be mindful that ego is the biggest hurdle in the process of implementing the sales model. 

• Way Forward: “What concrete actions do you intend to take?” ask your salesperson. It is okay to offer guidance but urge them to tell you what they plan to accomplish in your own words. 

• CLEAR Coaching Model 

Although the CLEAR sales coaching model is less formalized than GROW or OSKAR, it has many of its hallmarks. It consists of five steps: Contracting, Listening, Exploring, Acting, and Reviewing. When you assume a sales rep’s primary demand is room to communicate and be heard, the CLEAR model may be useful. If, on the other hand, the dialogue becomes stagnant and the employee does not improve, you may want to consider ending the discussion.

• Deal Coaching Model

The deal is among the efficient sales coaching models. It is a type of sales training that focuses on individual opportunities. This strategy may be used to help complete a contract or as a post-mortem for failed deals. Deal coaching assists sales professionals in identifying levers they can pull to help move an opportunity forward or abilities they can hone for future contracts. As you’ll ask questions to identify problems and assist the employee development, the questions in this model are far less open-ended, and the manager is more likely to determine the aim or outcome.

• Pipeline Coaching Model

The pipeline sales coaching model is the most structured sort of coaching. Managers coach salespeople on the number of offers they have, their forecasts for when they will close, and where their prospects are in the sales cycle. Processes and results are prioritized above skills and attitudes. Pipeline mentoring should be a continuous endeavor, not a detour around failed quotas. It also incorporates a feedback loop into the team structure, which can be quite beneficial to a manager since it allows them to identify process issues early on and work with their sales team to resolve them.

What Characterizes Successful Sales Coaching Models?

When you notice behavior change that leads to long-term performance improvement, you know you’ve had a successful sales performance coaching session. A sales rep feels confident and knows what needs to do after a successful coaching discussion. Sales businesses will notice increased revenue and employee engagement as a result of a robust coaching program.

Companies that want to develop a successful coaching program should think about different models and their managers’ coaching approaches. They must also consider the viewpoint of the salespeople and ensure that the program supports their growth and development.