As a sales manager, you might think the most efficient way to train and coach your sales team is to host a big event where everyone receives the same information presented the same way. Unfortunately, this one-size-fits-all approach rarely works out.
 
In this episode, you will learn the importance of individual training and coaching, and how the greatest sports coaches use psychology to connect with each of their players on a personal level.

 

By understanding your salespeople's individual motivations and psychology, the greater your chances are for inspiring them to peak performance.
 

 

Subscribe to this podcast today and stay up-to-date on the latest in sales psychology.

 

For more sales coaching guidance, check out our blog: Is Your Sales Performance Coaching Making a Difference?

And for more on motivating your salespeople, check out Episode 11: One of the Most Powerful Salesperson Motivation Secrets.

At SalesDrive, LLC, we help companies perfect the salesperson hiring process by offering a variety of tools, like a sales assessment and psychologically-based interview guides, that aid companies in never hiring a bad salesperson again. SalesDrive was founded in 2005 based on the single biggest frustration many companies face, selecting sales candidates who interviewed well, only to flame out when placed on the line. Dr. Croner reviewed more than 90 years of academic research as well as his own work in conducting intensive behavioral interviews and discovered that high-performance salespeople shared three innate personality traits. After identifying a gap in the marketplace, he went on to develop The DriveTest® sales assessment. The only sales assessment to measure the three non-teachable traits necessary for new business acquisition.
 
If you are hiring salespeople, request a free DriveTest assessment today: https://salesdrive.info/free-trial-request
 

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[00:00]  Katherine Abraham: Hello and Welcome to the Sales Psyched podcast, where we discuss strategies for leveraging psychology within the world of sales. Each episode is hosted by Dr. Chris Croner, who has a PhD in clinical psychology and has spent his career helping companies around the world build stellar sales teams.

[00:20]  Let's get started.
 
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[00:30]  Chris Croner: Great coaches treat each player differently.

[00:33]  Welcome to Sales Psyched!, the only sales enhancement program delivered by a psychologist. I'm Dr. Chris Croner, here today to talk to you sales managers about how great coaches treat each player differently.
 
[00:48]  When we're managers and coaches we're usually pressed for time. So, it can be attractive to apply "my way or the highway" or one-size-fits-all to the management and motivation of our players. But, the best coaches are master psychologists, who understand the individuals they're dealing with, and they motivate them according to their unique personalities.

[01:14]  Mike Ditka was the legendary coach of the Chicago Bears. Ditka had a reputation as a fiery competitor as a player and a demanding and intimidating coach. He certainly transferred that energy to his teams, including the 1986 Bears, who are considered to be one of the most ferocious in history. And, when he was later interviewed about how he liked to motivate players, you would think that his answer would be fire and brimstone.

[01:45]  Ditka said that each of his players required different motivation. His quarterback, Jim McMahon, saw himself as a rebel. If you didn't give him some space he would shut down. He needed to feel he could be creative and different. Meanwhile, Walter Payton lead by example. He was the best player but also the hardest worker. So, the players responded to his work ethic as a leader. And Gary Fencik was a Yale graduate who was more cerebral and motivated himself. He didn't need a pep talk. He needed some quiet to get his mind around the upcoming game.

[02:30]  Our point here is that the more you understand your individual salespeople's motivations and psychology, the better chance you'll have of inspiring them to peak performance.

[02:43]  When we read about the great coaches, we see one dimension. But, if we were able to hang out with them for a few months we would see a much more complex application of motivation with players on an individual level.

[03:00]  I look forward to seeing you next time.

 

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[03:04]  Chris Croner: Thank you for listening to the Sales Psyched Podcast. If you haven't already, please be sure to click the subscribe button and leave us a five-star review. If you found this information helpful, please consider sharing it. We'd love your help in spreading the word.
 
[03:21]  Until next time, take care!