Equip your managers to be better coaches

1. Ensure managers have a clear understanding of good coaching methodologies
   Coaching is behavioral and involves demonstrating the application of skills and knowledge, so encourage sales managers to coach as well as deliver training.

2. Implement the PAUSE framework to support coaching delivery
    - Preparation for the coaching conversation requires managers to identify what stage the rep is at in the sales process and what behaviors are critical
    - Affirming the relationship involves managers building rapport with the rep and separating performance management from coaching interactions 
    - Understand expected (observed) behavior so that positive rep behaviors can be recognized and any gaps addressed by coaching
    - Specify the behavior change by having defined critical behaviors and objective standards so that managers can assess reps and provide objective feedback
    - Embed new behaviors by providing managers with tools to create coaching action plans for reps and give continuity to managers coaching conversations.

3. Equip managers to be more innovative across sales deals
    - Promote open thinking over narrow thinking in terms of developing multiple creative solutions to difficult customer challenges
    - Encourage managers to overcome any personal or professional biases they may have which can negatively impact innovation. 
    - Train managers to ask themselves and reps prompting questions to deepen their understanding, broaden perspectives and expand ideas

Deepen Understanding – What’s the bigger picture that this customer situation falls into?

Broaden Perspectives – If you were the customer’s CFO, how would you view this deal?

Expand Ideas – What would you do differently if you had more budget to pursue this customer?