11 Essential Traits of Great Sales Coaches That Matter

When it comes to improving sales performance and efforts, sales coaching and sales training are necessary tools for ensuring businesses can grow their team’s sales skills and techniques. However, not all sales coaches are created equal, so when determining how to upskill your sales team best, whether you’re training in-house or externally, you should be aware of the traits all great sales coaches (should) have! Let’s explore them in greater detail below:

What does a sales coach do?

Sales coaches are usually sales managers or leaders who use data to monitor their sales reps’ performance to identify areas for improvement and reinforce profitable techniques and behaviors. In turn, sales coaches help their sales reps become more confident in their ability to succeed.

Also read: 7 Popular Sales Coaching Models All Managers Need To Know & Use

Should you turn to sales coaching or sales mentoring in your sales journey?

Sales coaching and sales mentoring are distinct paths to sales success. Coaching is structured and performance-driven, focusing on improving sales skills and meeting targets. A coach acts like a trainer who helps a salesperson practice and perfect their pitch, manage their pipeline, and close deals effectively. 

On the other hand, mentoring is about personal growth and long-term career development. A mentor shares wisdom gained from experience, offering guidance and support that goes beyond sales techniques. While coaching is often short-term and specific, mentoring involves a deeper, ongoing relationship that helps shape a salesperson’s entire career path. Both play crucial roles in nurturing top-performing sales professionals.

So, if you’re aiming for immediate sales results, choose coaching. If you’re planning your career journey, mentoring is your key.

Also read:

• Sales Coaching Tips & Techniques To Maximize Results
• How to Apply Solution Focused Coaching That Boosts Sales
• Why High Performance Sales Teams Are Implementing Online Sales Training

11 traits of great sales coaches

Effective sales coaching isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. It’s about understanding that every team member brings unique abilities to the table. The best sales coaches help individuals tap into their strengths, guiding them to achieve their goals.

Whether it’s creating targets, mapping out strategies, or providing encouragement during setbacks, a skilled coach wears many hats. So, what makes a top-notch sales coach? Let’s explore the 11 essential traits below!

While every sales coach’s style, personality and methodologies will differ, these are the 11 traits all great sales coaches should have:

1. Top performers

Sales Coaches are the “go-to” for sales reps when they have questions about the sales process; that’s why they’re usually top performers who can develop their sales reps by driving them back to the basic principles and techniques of the business’s sales process. All great sales coaches have a wealth of experience, as it allows their team and organization to trust their instincts and authority naturally.

2. Compassionate

Sales is a demanding profession, so much so that generally two in five sales reps struggle with mental health, double that of the “general workforce”. Even more so these days, as sales become focused on virtual interactions, sales teams are at a greater risk of experiencing severe mental and emotional strain. That’s why all great sales coaches are compassionate, and they empathize with their sales coachees. They pay attention to the emotions exhibited during coaching and use this to earn sales reps’ respect. As a result, sales coaches who understand reps personally will be more successful at aligning the reps’ goals and motivations.

3. Expects accountability

Not only do all great sales coaches expect accountability, but they also lead an example to their sales team. That’s because accountability starts at the top – and then trickles down; as a result, accountability usually breeds responsibility. Whether individual sales reps need a stronger or more relaxed approach to accountability, great sales coaches set the bar and make it their focus.

4. Effective communicators

Great sales coaches never cut corners on communication. They understand the value of not being misunderstood, especially when time is critical. By possessing excellent communication skills, sales coaches avoid common communication pitfalls that hurt feelings, projects or team relations.

5. Skillful motivators

The hallmark of a great sales coach is inspiring the people they help to uncover opportunities and challenges and push them to reach new heights. More so, it’s about understanding the individual motivators of the sales reps alongside the team as a whole to ensure that they have the best sales strategy for success.

6. Prepared

All great sales coaches understand that a one-size-fits-all approach is ineffective. Instead, they prepare for coaching sessions by researching sales reps’ specific needs and goals best to craft their subsequent training around the primary motivators.

7. Collaborators

At their center, great sales coaches are collaborators and leaders who are partners to sales reps, not managers. That’s why they’re fully conscious and employ an open, flexible, and confident style to encourage trust among themselves and their coachees.

8. Masters of powerful questioning

Instead of confronting an underperforming sales professional and offering advice on improving, great sales coaches use powerful sales coaching questions to help them discover the answers themselves. As a result, this approach encourages the seller to strive harder to make the necessary changes.

Different sales coaching questions evoke discovery, insight, or a commitment to an action plan. Most sales coaches use solution-focused sales coaching questions to create thinking space for reps to generate new perspectives, such as, ‘How do you feel about using these presentation materials versus not using them?

9. Specific

While powerful questioning is a tool for every good sales coach’s arsenal, specific questioning is only reserved for great sales coaches. For example, instead of asking, “What do you want to achieve?” sales coaches who prefer specifics to generalities will ask, ” How many contacts do you want to make this week?”

10. Hands-on

Great sales coaches are hands-on and understand that repetition is the key to further sales reps’ skill development. As a result, they practice techniques, strategies, and skills with sales reps until they are sufficiently competent – and then to mastery.

11. Adaptable

The individuals of any given sales team will not be the same; they’ll have different skill sets and levels of experience. You often find sales professionals with years of experience working with fresh and ambitious graduates, which is precisely why all great sales coaches can adapt their coaching style to understand and motivate sellers depending on who they’re talking to.

Also read: Unleash Reps’ Potential: Top 13 Sales Coaching Software Apps

Choosing the right sales coach begins with understanding the essential traits

Knowing the traits of a top sales coach can make all the difference. The best coaches have a mix of sales coaching skills that include clear communication, patience, and the ability to motivate. They know how to listen and provide feedback that helps their team improve.

These coaches also understand their team’s unique strengths and challenges, which allows them to tailor their coaching to each individual. Recognizing these traits is crucial because you can select the right coach to lead your sales team to success. A coach with the right traits will boost your team’s performance, inspire confidence, and foster a positive, productive sales environment.

Navigate your way to better coaching with Marshall Goldsmith’s 6 questions

Good vs bad traits that set coaches apart

Effective coaching can make or break a team’s success. We’ve touched on the essential traits that successful sales coaches have, but what about their less effective counterparts? The traits that set them apart are like two sides of a coin—each influencing the team’s performance in distinct ways:

Trait	Excellent Coaches	Bad Coaches
Top Performers	Lead by example, consistently achieving results.	Struggle to meet targets themselves.
Compassionate	Show empathy, understanding, and genuine care for their team.	Lack empathy and may come across as cold.
Expects Accountability	Hold team members responsible for their actions.	Avoid addressing accountability issues.
Effective Communication	Foster teamwork, encourage collaboration and value diverse perspectives.	Communicate poorly or inconsistently.
Skillful Motivators	Inspire and energize the team, boosting morale.	Fail to motivate or demotivate unintentionally.
Prepared	Plan ahead, anticipate challenges, and adapt.	Wing it without proper preparation.
Collaborators	Foster teamwork, encourage collaboration, and value diverse perspectives.	Work in isolation or create a divisive atmosphere.
Masters of Powerful Questioning	Ask thought-provoking questions that lead to insights.	Stick to surface-level questions or provide answers outright.
Specific	Provide clear, actionable guidance tailored to individual needs.	Give vague or generic advice.
Hands-On	Involved in the day-to-day, offering guidance and support.	Remain distant or detached.
Adaptable	Adjust strategies based on team dynamics and changing circumstances.	Rigidly stick to one approach, even when it’s ineffective.

Coaching isn’t just about knowledge but also how that knowledge is shared and applied. Excellent coaches lift their teams, while bad coaches hinder progress. So choose wisely—the impact is far-reaching.

Your path to becoming a successful sales coach

Becoming a coach starts with solid training. You can pursue this through the International Coaching Federation (ICF), other reputable providers, or even through our own programs. The journey involves more than just learning the ropes. You must put in the hours, actively coaching and refining your skills. This hands-on experience is crucial for proficiency.

Additionally, joining your local ICF chapter is a smart move. There, you’ll connect with fellow coaches, share experiences, and attend regular meetings that are designed to sharpen your coaching abilities. These steps and a commitment to ongoing learning lay the foundation for a successful coaching career.

Learn Essential Coaching Skills for Managers