Don’t Coach Top Performers?

I’ve been working with executives for the last few years on sales coaching practices. I’ve noticed that many executives are on the fence about whether or not to coach top performers.

Let me clear the air.

Your top performers should absolutely be coached, regardless of how impressive their numbers have been and how long they’ve been exceeding expectations for.

Here’s the truth, you have the best opportunity to move the bar forward with your revenue by coaching your top performers. So, don’t fall into the trap!

Executives who implement a “hands off” policy for their best performers are doing a major disservice.

What’s the best way to coach them?

Let your sales superstars drive the coaching session, ensure that they come prepared with any information they want from you. Also, you want to let them lead. Give them tasks or assignment topics where they can speak about best practices for the organization. If you treat them like a leader, they will feel engaged and not only reinforce their current positive behaviors, but they will want to continue to grow within your business. Not to mention, their positive work ethic and practices will be contagious to other salespeople within your organization. That is a good thing!

Pay attention to top performers across virtually every industry. They always continue to train, learn and grow. LeBron James and Sidney Crosby are still at every practice and ready to receive coaching. Some of your favorite business moguls secretly have a coach behind the scenes to help them evolve. It’s safe to say that nobody is immune to learning new things and expanding their current potential. Let’s not forget this important lesson when working with exceptional sellers.

Many people need challenges to stay motivated in their position. Don’t get caught into believing that your current top sellers will simply continue to bring in the sales indefinitely. While they should always be appreciated for their hard work, they should also be encouraged to learn more, do more and sell more. Keep them engaged through consistent coaching, and when they do further improve and they do create even greater sales, they’ll thank you for pushing them in the right direction!