I’ll never forget when I was selling remotely and had little access to my sales vice president who was typically busy with sales managers who reported to him. I was recruiting large resellers in the computer industry and there were times when a little coaching for me would have gone a long way.

Maybe you’ve been in a similar position and just not sure where to turn.

Selling remotely and being separated from the rest of your team has become more common. Between technological improvements and Covid several years ago, this is the new reality.

So, what did I do when I was on my own most of the time?

What would you do?

I believe there are three things we can do to improve our own sales performance when a coach is not consistently available.

1. Self-talk. You are your best cheerleader, and you need to have a positive attitude. Look at every sales call as an opportunity to learn. Even when I don’t have a sales coach on my appointments, there are three things I can reflect on after each call to assess my performance.

Ask myself three questions:

• What do I believe went well on the call?
• Where do I believe I can improve next time?
• And last but most important – what did I learn and how will I adjust on the next call.

Then make notes and commit to the change(s) to be made on the next call.

2. Be realistic. Unfortunately for me as the ultimate optimist, I think every customer is going to buy from me! And I know I must take it down a notch. I need to be more objective as I assess my pipeline and the outcomes of my meetings.

The best way to assess and be realistic is to observe whether or not the customer responds to my call to action.

• When is the next meeting?
• What will they do to prepare to show me they are interested in moving forward?

If the prospect doesn’t know what action to take, or doesn’t take any, I need to realistically assess whether this opportunity is likely to buy. This is especially important when reporting your pipeline to your managers or when you’re nearing the end of my annual budget cycle.

3. Learn from the pros. The beauty of technology today is that there are more resources out there for sales than ever before!

• Have a question that needs to be answered? Ask AI!
• Want to learn from the best, watch sales techniques and advice on YouTube, LinkedIn, Podcasts and audio books while driving.

As a sales coach and trainer, I read and watch all of my sales colleagues’ books to glean best practices. Iron sharpens iron and studying them helps me to create new ideas and approaches as a sales coach.

You don’t have to go solo if you don’t have a coach to support you on a consistent basis.  Self-talk will keep you grounded, be realistic about what’s going on with your sales pipeline, and learn from the best.

Here’s to great selling!