I’ve failed many times myself. Even my co-founder, Luigi, has shared his own frustrations.
What we’re saying is that B2B sales is not everyone’s cup of tea—it's highly competitive, and only those who can overcome failures can succeed.
So, what can we do to improve and eliminate these setbacks?
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Coaching as a Strategy for Improvement.
In our professional lives, coaching is often synonymous with external guidance from managers, team leaders, or specialised coaches within our organisations.
We look to these individuals for insights, feedback, and strategies to enhance our sales performance.
External coaching undoubtedly plays a crucial role in our growth by providing valuable perspectives and expertise.
We gain new perspectives and learn new methods to avoid failed calls.
Plus, coaching seems to be effective and popular.
Recent statistics show this niche has a $5.34 billion market share, and the figures are only expected to grow.
However, coaching is not solely an external endeavour.
It's also a strategy for continuous improvement that can be amplified through self-coaching.
Imagine if we could harness the power of coaching from within ourselves instead of just from others.
Self-coaching empowers us to take charge of our development journey, becoming active participants in our own growth.
Self-Coaching as an Even More Effective Tactic
What is self-coaching?
You may think of it as a way of telling yourself what to do, but it’s not.
You’d probably just place undue pressure on yourself and start feeling negative emotions.
Instead, we can look at it this way — self-coaching is about introspection and reflection at every stage of the sales process.
It's about carving out intentional time to assess our interactions with clients and prospects.
When was the last time you asked yourself — what aspects of my approach worked well in that recent sales call?
What could I have done differently to enhance the outcome?
By posing these two simple yet profound questions to ourselves, we open the door to new insights and perspectives.
Self-coaching allows us to take ownership of our growth and refine our skills autonomously.
Great Coaching Doesn't Tell You What You Should Have Done
Effective coaching isn't about receiving answers or directives.
It's about being asked the right questions that challenge us to think differently and grow.
However, in today's evolving work landscape, face-to-face coaching sessions can be less accessible due to hybrid work setups and remote interactions.
This is where self-coaching emerges as a valuable strategy.
By embracing self-coaching, we become the architects of our development journey.
We cultivate self-awareness, identify areas for improvement, and implement actionable changes independently.
Reflection in the Context of B2B Sales
In our quest for continuous improvement in B2B sales, one of the most impactful strategies we can adopt is intentional reflection.
Here are the steps Luigi and I discussed.
1. Ask the Right Questions
After each client interaction or sales call, take a moment to pause and reflect.
Ask yourself two pivotal questions I mentioned above:
What did I do right during this interaction?
What could I have done differently to potentially change the outcome?
It's essential to avoid fixating solely on the negatives.
Instead, focus on celebrating your strengths and pinpointing areas for refinement.
By adopting this reflective mindset, you cultivate self-awareness and pave the way for meaningful growth.
My tip when self-reflecting is to do it for 10 to 15 minutes after a call.
It releases tension and helps temper your mood, so you can become the person that clients want to talk to.
Nobody wants to engage with a stressed or moody person, right?
2. Documenting Your Insights: The Power of Daily Journaling
Capture your reflections by writing down your answers to these questions in a daily journal or digital notebook.
Documenting your insights in real-time ensures that valuable lessons are captured and retained.
Over time, this journal becomes a treasure trove of actionable insights that can inform your sales strategies.
3. Leveraging AI for Deeper Analysis
Artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay, and we should embrace it as a tool to help with our self-coaching pursuits.
At the end of the week, revisit your journal notes and leverage the power of AI tools to identify patterns and trends.
According to Forbes, AI tools can sift through vast amounts of data efficiently, allowing you to highlight recurring themes or areas that require attention.
This data-driven approach offers invaluable insights into your sales performance and customer interactions.
4. Transforming Insights Into Strategies
Armed with these insights, you should take proactive steps to refine your approach for future sales calls.
Identify recurring challenges or opportunities for improvement and devise tailored strategies.
For instance, if you notice a pattern of successful engagements stemming from personalised follow-ups, leverage this insight to enhance your outreach tactics.
Embracing Self-Accountability
A crucial aspect of self-coaching is embracing self-accountability.
Success in B2B sales hinges on personal ownership and proactive engagement.
While external resources and support are invaluable, we must drive our own development and performance.
Self-accountability means taking ownership of our actions, decisions, and outcomes.
It involves setting high standards for ourselves and holding ourselves to them.
When we adopt a mindset of self-accountability, we position ourselves for success and empower ourselves to navigate challenges effectively.
Tradesman Metaphor: A Mindset for Self-Accountability
Imagine hiring a skilled tradesman, such as a carpenter, to undertake a crucial project.
You expect the carpenter to arrive equipped with the necessary tools — a saw, drill, and measuring tape — for the job.
As a customer, your confidence in the tradesman's ability is directly linked to their preparedness and professionalism.
Similarly, in the realm of B2B sales, we are the craftsmen of our trade.
Our "tools" encompass skills, knowledge, strategies, and a growth-oriented mindset.
Self-accountability means taking ownership of our tools.
It's about recognising that our success depends on our readiness to invest in ourselves and leverage the necessary resources.
When we embrace self-accountability, we acknowledge that success in B2B sales is not solely reliant on external factors, such as company-provided tools or resources.
Instead, it hinges on our proactive efforts to enhance our skills and refine our approach independently — things we can achieve on our own through self-coaching.
You’re on Your Own, So Take Control
The best person that can help you is yourself.
With self-coaching, you can get the right mindset to make incremental progress and unlock your full potential in B2B sales.
The improvements may start slowly at just 1%, but over time, things will compound.
You’ll see impactful results as long as you’re consistent and disciplined.
It's a journey of self-discovery and growth that leads to tangible results over time.
Remember, the path to mastery begins with self-awareness and intentional action.