Every great coach has a philosophy.
Pep Guardiola helps Manchester City football players think strategically instead of being confined to positions. Phil Jackson encouraged basketball players to use mindfulness and meditation as tactics to help win Bulls’ games. And Bill Belichick is known for pushing Patriots players to focus on what they can control within the scope of their position.
Great sales leaders have similar coaching philosophies.
Just ask Director of Mid-Market Sales Jason Brendler at EliseAI.
“I believe that as a leader, it’s your responsibility to set the tone for your team,” Brendler said. He does this through simple practices like never asking his team to do something he himself wouldn’t do.
Associate Director of Business Development Rachel Koshmider has a different but equally impactful approach at Movable Ink. She guides her team to understand the big picture of their work.
“The business development representative role can be tough, so I focus on connecting their work to the ‘why’ behind what we do and helping them see the bigger impact they’re making,” Koshmider said.
Built In spoke with Brendler and Koshmider to hear how they coach their sales teams to victory.
Movable Ink helps businesses earn attention in a world where time is precious and creativity is power by activating any data into personalized content in any customer engagement.
Describe your leadership philosophy as it relates to employee engagement.
For me, engagement is about making sure every team member feels valued, heard and set up to succeed. The business development representative role can be tough, so I focus on connecting their work to the “why” behind what we do and helping them see the bigger impact they’re making. I give my team the trust and autonomy to try new ideas, share their perspectives with the wider group and take ownership of their work while knowing it’s okay to fail and learn along the way. I’m always there to guide and support them when they need it.
What types of resources does your team leverage to keep sellers engaged? How does this engagement directly impact their success and the success of the business?
In addition to weekly one-on-ones focused on pipeline generation, we invest in ongoing enablement and peer learning. Our enablement team provides training on product education, selling techniques and best practices, which helps the team stay up to date and confident. We also pair new team members with senior mentors so they can learn from their peers and ramp up quickly.
My goal isn’t just to drive the pipeline, but also to coach reps for the next step in their careers. When team members feel supported and see a path for growth, they stay motivated which translates into business results.
What advice would you offer to leaders in your field eager to drive greater engagement on their sales teams?
First, be present and truly listen. There’s nothing more demotivating than feeling like your leader isn’t engaged. I make it a priority to stay fully present in one-on-ones so I can understand what each person needs to succeed. Second, understand individual motivators. It’s easy to assume everyone in sales is driven by money, but that’s not always true. Taking the time to learn what motivates each individual helps me tailor my coaching and keep my team engaged.
Finally, be intentional about recognition. Celebrating wins is important, but I also try to recognize effort and creativity. Those moments of acknowledgment can make a huge difference in how connected and valued someone feels.
EliseAI is a machine learning technology company that can respond to leads and customers 24/7 through email, text, webchat and phone.
Describe your leadership philosophy as it relates to employee engagement.
I believe that as a leader, it’s your responsibility to set the tone for your team. A few principles I live by are: practice what you preach, never ask something of your team you wouldn’t be willing to do yourself and model the behaviors you want to see from your people. This covers all things from work ethic, attitude and professionalism. And most importantly, you need to genuinely care. I work every day with a very clear purpose — get the most out of my people so they can get the most out of their careers.
What types of resources does your team leverage to keep sellers engaged? How does this engagement directly impact their success and the success of the business?
There are the internal resources, such as weekly one-on-one time to focus on development items, give feedback, brainstorm ideas and strategy and so on. Then there is sales enablement that provides great frameworks, tailored coaching and an emphasis on repetition. For tools, we use Attention to review calls, get deeper insights and help game plan future calls to strengthen the sales process. And when it comes to mentorship, it lives throughout the organization. Our philosophy is “everyone sells” and there are folks you can lean on in nearly every department that can help you not only become a better seller, but a product and industry expert to become the consultant your client needs.
What advice would you offer to leaders in your field eager to drive greater engagement on their sales teams?
I’d say first and foremost, care deeply. The same way your customers can tell when your drive is self-serving, your direct reports can, too. Focus on getting to know your people, learning what motivates them and remember that they are your stakeholders. Every day, you go up or down in their eyes and often what makes the difference is real support, strong accountability and a willingness to roll up your sleeves with them. While you set the tone, they set the culture. Identify people on your team for their strengths and help them build a strong reputation so they can shine. Lastly, give direct feedback, early and often. Nearly every salesperson I’ve ever worked with wants to get better and you have the privilege as their leader to share that gift with them.
