4 Ways to Measure Coaching Effectiveness

If you ask a sports fan whether the new team coach is driving results, a simple tally of wins and losses, and an analysis of some tell signs like player confidence will fetch you a prompt reply. But, unfortunately assessing the impact of coaching on sales results is not that simple despite its ability to improve sales performance by up to 19%.

From merely measuring sales outcomes, leading companies are creating stronger coaching quality indicators by measuring coaching impact quantitatively and qualitatively. This provides a more holistic assessment of coaching’s contribution to sales; a trend that is also reflected in a member discussion thread on our Sales Talent Management Forum. Here is a compilation of different methods that members use to measure coaching effectiveness:

Assess Rep Performance:

Conduct pre- and post-coaching surveys to measure the degree of improvement in rep  behavior, performance, and confidence
Look for tell signs in rep behavior pattern like rep engagement, confidence in task performance, and need for manager support

Assess Team Performance:

Establish a team performance benchmark and monitor post-coaching performance to identify coaching impact
Track pre-coaching turnover vs. post-coaching turnover to gauge employee engagement
Conduct focused group discussions with reps to understand effectiveness of coaching on job satisfaction and retention, or use more informal methods like water-cooler conversations to establish interest and coaching success.

Assess Manager Performance:

Align managers’ coaching goals to business objectives, and monitor their achievement. If managers miss their goal, record the gap-to-goal and reasons for the gap.
A regular record of a coach’s progress helps to track individual managers’ coaching skill and improvement areas overtime.  For this, real-time coaching observation (preferably, by a neutral third-party) can help understand the quality and effectiveness of coaching delivery.SEC members, see how Britannia used a Tiered Coaching Accreditation Program to assess and improve manager coaching abilities over time.

Assess Business Performance:

In addition to tracking sales performance pre- and post-coaching, companies can also track performance of markets with formalized coaching programs vs. those without.
Companies can also consider weighing and tracking coaching impact relative to other factors like training, promotions, incentives, that contribute to sales

What other approaches have you used to measure coaching effectiveness?

SEC Members, identify how sales managers are performing over time by launching the SEC PULSE Survey and see which coaching behaviors need to be emphasized in the Anatomy of World-Class Sales Coaching Practices. For more on how to make coaching effective, visit our topic center on Coaching.