It's vital to sales success that managers are given the time, resources, and expertise to coach reps. If a sports team failed to train outside of dedicated practice sessions, if the coach said he was “too busy to coach” because of all the other things he was responsible for, fans would be furious.

But the sad reality is that, in many sales organizations, that’s what’s happening right now. Managers are “too busy” to really coach, and the only skill development comes in formal classroom settings. Actual opportunities to practice building skills are few and far between.

There are numerous lessons that sales can take from sports. All the way from school sports to professional teams, players prepare to win on the pitch in similar ways.

First, the coach identifies what skills he or she is trying to develop in the players. Then the coach creates a plan to teach the players those skills and gives them opportunities to practice before they need to use it on the field. And even once practice is over, progress doesn’t stop. The best coaches give players additional exercises to do on their own, to build on what was taught in team training.

What Sales Can Learn from the Sports Field

There are critical benefits that a successful sales manager brings to the organization but, as in sports, it’s not enough to know the importance of the players on the field. And it’s not enough to want to win. The coach and the players must plan, practice, and invest in the right resources so that when it’s game time, the players are prepared to win.

Similarly, sales leaders must learn what critical skills sales managers need to help their direct reports win business.

Unfortunately, sales organizations tend to not only underinvest in their first line managers—and the time and effort they spend in developing them—but they also neglect the training areas that can confer the greatest benefits. If a basketball player needs to work on his layup, for example, a coach wouldn’t focus training solely on dribbling and passing, or if a cricketer needs to work on her cover drive, a coach wouldn’t suggest she practice the reverse sweep.

How the Company Can Help

It’s not the sales managers’ fault; too often, organizations who do invest in manager skills training often forego management skills in favor of product or process training.

However, research shows that the skills which have the greatest impact manager effectiveness are: selling, coaching, and innovation. These skills are not covered by the training typically provided to managers, yet they can be built via targeted development efforts and account for 73% of manager effectiveness.

Knowing the key skills is a good start, but it’s not enough. Sales leadership must put together a plan to help their managers learn and practice these skills. Advance awareness and preparatory work must be done to ensure managers show-up ready to learn and apply the training to their day-to-day roles.

Additionally, the classroom training experience must be taught by an experienced facilitator, one who has played the game themselves and knows what skills will ensure success. Training must also include opportunities for practical application and feedback from peers.

Nick Toman is managing director at CEB, where he oversees the global research operation and product development for CEB’s Sales Leadership Council. Nick is also a co-author of The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation (Penguin/Portfolio, 2010).

Jessica Cash is a senior director at CEB where she has been the primary architect of the CEB Challenger Development Program and CEB Challenger Messaging Engagement, and is currently focused on additional support to enhance members’ ability to operationalize the Challenger Selling™ Model.

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