Jason Forrest is a sales professional, author, professional speaker, and consultant to homebuilders.
If you’re a broker, you need a way to distinguish yourself from your many competitors. The things that can really set you apart are having a stellar sales process, exceptional people and flawless presentations.
These are what the most effective brokers focus on in order to build a solid, results-oriented team. However, those who stay in the first three levels of coaching (the most common and least effective) end up falling behind the pack.
Below are six levels of sales training/ coaching and the characteristics of each.
Levels one and two (the shallowest) cover circumstances (economy and the like) and results (number of sales, whether the agent expects to meet monthly/weekly goals, etc.). Level three, activity-based coaching, focuses on behaviors – such as setting appointments, completing loan applications and making phone calls.
While level three is a bit more effective because it takes into consideration the activities/behaviors that contribute to success, levels four, five, and six are where the magic happens.
Level four, process-based coaching, involves analyzing where in the process the sale got stopped and how to start it again. The broker or agent may ask which home prospects are considering and what is hindering them.
Level five, presentation-based, really gets down to what motivates buyers. Questions may include, “What was your selling message with the prospects?” or “Why do they need this home to improve their life?”
Level six, people-based, is the deepest and most effective level of sales coaching. It gets to the crux of the brokers’ and agents’ goals and the motivations that drive them to perfect their sales presentation, move prospects forward in the process and earn what they’re worth. Level six questions include: Why do you need to reach your sales goals this month? If you were your own coach, how would you advise yourself to improve your last customer presentation? What do you hope to accomplish in your career? What part of the sales process makes you the most uncomfortable?
Brokers – leave shallow coaching to the amateurs. The most effective brokers coach at the deepest levels possible.
One of Training magazine’s Top Young Trainers of 2012, Jason Forrest is an expert at creating high-performance sales cultures through complete training programs. His newest book, “Leadership Sales Coaching,” is now available here.