Confusing Training with Coaching

Posted by Mark Ackers

As promised, I’m breaking down my “7 Deadly Sins of Coaching” one at a time starting with #1 “Confusing Training with Coaching”.

For many these words are interchangeable, they see them as the same thing but that's not the case. Here’s the difference…

Training is when you listen to someone, it’s when you're reading a book or watching a video etc.

It’s taking in information.

Training (should) fire you up. Give you new ideas.

It’s very important. I’d argue you can’t be successful without training.

However there’s no accountability…

How many times have you been inspired from a talk, a podcast, an event etc and yet done nothing with it… absolutely nothing?

Happens all the time, right? You just forget about it. You stick with what you know.

Why?

It’s because you’re not accountable!

Coaching is all about being accountable.

A coach is who you take your ideas to. They’re who you share your goals, plans and dreams with - they then get into your head and your heart and together you figure out the gap between where you are and where you want to be and then figure how how you’re going to get there!

Your coach will ask you

- What’s the reason you want to do that?
- How are you going to achieve that? 
- How will it fit in with what you’re already doing?
- Who or what will stop you? 
- What are you going to do in the next couple of weeks to ensure it happens?

And from there your coach in every session will..

- Remind you.
- Encourage you. 
- Push you.
- Challenging you.
- Ensure you’re on track.
- And ultimately they will hold you accountable.

Accountability ensures what you want to achieve actually happens.

It keeps you in the rhythm of success, you stay on the track you want to be on and get to where you want to be.

Without coaching and accountability you’ll soon slip back into your old habits.

The most successful people on the planet have a coach to hold them accountable.

And if you want your sales reps to fulfil their true potential, that’s what they need.

And that’s what coaching is.

It’s not to be confused with training.



Sales Leaders, do you want to provide your team with regular coaching but struggle for time? Drop me a note.



Sales reps, are you working for a company that’s not giving you the coaching you need? Drop me a note.

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