Inside Our Head

Coaching "symptoms" instead of underlying causes does more harm than good.

Accurate diagnosis of a performance problem means looking for the common threads, then applying a bit of detective work to consider:

• Is this a skill problem? If so, teach.
• Is this a willingness/motivation problem? If so, help the rep understand the reasons why they need to improve.
• Is this a self confidence problem dealing with C-level prospects? If so, encourage and coach the rep. Have them take a class to improve business acumen.

As all doctors know, prescription without diagnosis is malpractice. Don't throw a bunch of symptoms at a sales rep. Instead, think it through. Then prescribe the coaching solution that will address the underlying cause of the performance problem.