Finding a Coach

Tough work, finding the coach while prospecting. No doubt about it. Where do you start? How would you ever know?

No magic answers, but I have one suggestion. If you're a b2b entity engaged in complex sales situations, i.e. multiple decision-makers where a coach is absolutely required hire a "coach finder"! The "coach finder", also known as appointment-generator or lead-qualifier, does the heavy lifting required to gain interest, build a relationship AND survey the decision-making landscape for a potential coach before setting the appointment. Appointment setting efforts that employ a specific role to do so often fail because the appointment-setter does not satisfy all three of these requirements:

1. Gain interest
2. Build a relationship
3. Survey the decision-making landscape for a coach

Once this is accomplished, your highly paid outside sales resource will have a much shorter sales cycle and will be employed where most effective. In a recent assignment, I employed this model to improve my pipeline and results by 30%. Try it!

Finding the coach while engaged with the client is much easier. Get face to face with ALL of the stakeholders - don't settle for one-on-one meetings. You want to meet with everyone! "Why?", asks the gate-keeper? Because unless you meet with all the stakeholders, you won't gain all of the requirements and the proposed solution will be less effective and the client will have over-paid. Works almost every time.

Now that you are in front of each stakeholder, watch their verbal language, body language and interaction with one another. You'll see clearly who the lead decision-maker is, who has influence with him/her and where you can build a relationship. Bring your manager with you on this all-important call. Two sets of eyes watching the prospect will always yield better results.

Sorry to throw another football analogy out there, but ever notice that coaches who have little influence with their ownership seldom win? They were never coaches to begin with. Make sure you find the right coach!!