“A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear, who has you see what you don’t want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be.”
– Coach Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys
Are you a manager who sometimes feels more like a coach than a manager? You’re not alone. There’s a trend toward manager as coach in today’s brokerage. If you want to increase your sales associate’s productivity, improve their lives, and create value as their manager, these 10 gifts of coaching may help you.
1. Motivation. People are motivated by to have, to do, to be, and to give goals. These are what bring meaning and purpose to their lives. A good coach understands these drivers and how to use them to encourage movement toward meaningful goals. If the why is strong enough, then a person can endure almost any how.
2. System. Successful coaches have a methodology and a system to get people where they want to go. A disciplined person who follows his coach’s system is bound to improve. A person needs one system. Multiple systems can cause confusion and procrastination. Having confidence in the system is as important as the system itself. The Ninja Selling system is a proven system for success in real estate sales. A coach will help the person develop the specific skills as well as a training schedule (daily routine/activities/business plan) that’s right for them.
3. Goal Setting. People need to own their goals. Sometimes, they will say they want to do one thing, yet their behavior says they wish to do another. A lack of commitment to their goals, or goals that are not theirs may cause this. The coach can help design a set of activities and a schedule to help the person achieve their goals.
4. Advice. A good coach brings information from a great number of sources and explains why something works and why something else will not. The coach brings a larger perceptual map and can be a valued mentor and sage. A good coach is a good listener and observer.
5. Injury Prevention. Real estate can become an addictive career where a person is working too many hours and risks injury to their health, family, and relationships. A good coach carefully monitors the person’s performance progress as well as their routine (daily habits of sleep, diet, exercise, personal time, fun, etc.) to help avoid injury and burnout. A good coach designs systems and activities that encourage both peak performance as well as a rich life.
6. Plateau Busting. Sooner or later, most people reach a point where they fail to improve. A good coach can suggest different ways that may allow the person to climb to a new level. More efficient listing, selling and prospecting systems are a start, followed by an analysis of their staff support.
7. Check List. A coach keeps a person on a course by making certain they follow the business plan and schedule of activities. This frees up the person to focus on the actual activity at hand. Focus on productive activities, and sales production follows. Manage activities, not production. Keep a log of the productive activities to serve as both a motivator and a measurement of success.
8. Feedback. Most people have a hard time evaluating their performance. A coach is an unbiased observer
who can evaluate activities objectively and provide accountability. A good coach looks for patterns of excellence. If the coach notices someone is in a bad pattern or unhealthy routine, the coach can interrupt the pattern and help the person to get back on track.
9. Focus. The coach helps people stay focused. Providing a plan for daily activities, and routines, checklists, a system, visualization, and pre-performance rituals helps keep them focused.
10. Cheerleader. Every person has doubts. Star performers can be especially insecure. People need someone to affirm that what they are doing is right. Their coach is their No. 1 fan.
This article appeared in REAL Trends Newsletter and is being reprinted with permission of REAL Trends, Copyright 2015.