The everyday experience of a Sales Leader gives you all the coaching scenarios you need. The challenge is to recognize them.

It’s said that we use 10% of our brain. So what is the other 90% doing? We know it’s there when the idea or strategy we need comes into our consciousness. I call this the passive mind, the one we use for intuition and creativity. It constantly presents ideas, thoughts, observation and insights to us. Unfortunately most of us are not very good at paying attention to it, so great ideas slip away as we work harder to come up with the “killer” strategy.

The rational mind asks questions like:

• Where is our sales process breaking down?
• What can I do to increase sales activity?
• What metrics do I need to start tracking?

These are critical and should be part of any sales plan.

 Great coaching thought usually arises from our passive mind as a gift from the universe. For example you might find yourself wondering why a particular salesperson is stuck. Ideas floating through your head could include; I wonder what they are afraid of or they just seem off lately. Now be honest, how frequently do you move these thoughts out of your consciousness into a question? My personal answer is “not enough.” The frustrating part is that these seemingly random ideas are usually exactly what we need to ask or say.

What experiences have you had today which can be used in coaching? Did you notice your coffee barista went out of their way to engage someone this morning or that when the light turns yellow people speed up? The trick is to be aware and curious about what happens around you and then bring this to your coaching. Here are some examples from the observations above.

• When salespeople go too fast they often disengage on a human level.
• Strong eye contact strengthens SOB Quality.
• If you pay attention there is always another question.
• Outside factors can create urgency.
• The window of opportunity closes quickly

So have some fun and give the universe more credit. Everything you need is right in front of you. You just have to see it.