I was in a call center yesterday of about 600 reps. I did 4 side-by-sides in my approximate 6 hours on the floor today. I thought and felt it was time well spent because I witnessed behavior changes on each call with my side-by-side coaching.  With that said, I felt a bit of apprehension with 596 reps not getting any attention that day . How do I measure my ROI?  How do affect change in such a large environment?  I am focusing on increasing sales of 1 product that is offered among 5 others by the sales agents.

UPDATE: 9/1/09   – Thank you everybody for your amazing responses.  I received so many!  Your feedback sent me back to the design table!  I was inspired to create 8 modules  based on customer satisfaction.  It is important that we lower churn and increase c-sat scoring for the call centers.  The falling call volume due to a shift in the call centers core product (home land line services) means that my reps need to make each call a quality call.  Taking every call (aka ‘opportunity’) is the only option.  My specialists now have Facilitator guides, training aids (job aids, side-by-side coaching cards, self-paced learning, etc) as well as a variety of application and presentation styles and activities focused on c-sat.  One critical module that I would like to highlight, focused around the statement, “Nothing Happens Unless the Coach Makes It Happen.”  I love this statement b/c it is my strategy to affect change in such a large environment.  Recognition and responsibility motivational methods will now be in my Specialist’s front right pocket.

The support from everyone who replied to this blog was truly moving.

Samantha (9/1/09)

Coaching is a critical component of a sound sales training campaign in an organization.  Coaches design an action plan for each sales agent based on their identified strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for growth.  The design of this action plan will show the creativity of the coach including their ability to relate to and influence the sales agent by changing their behavior.  That is the ultimate goal of this action plan, to change behavior.  The behavior change is what should move the sales needle in the positive direction for the organization. 

Here is a creative way to communicate required behavior changes and a fun and easy way to document the coaching session.  This is called the Coaching Prescription.  It is a play-off of a prescription pad that comes from the Dr. 

*Note:  This by no means is an all encompassing action plan.  This is an on-the-spot solution used to document the coaching session. 

Coaching Prescription Card

All of us need a mentor.  Did you used to have one, but don’t anymore?  Who was your 1st mentor?  How did your mentor change your life?  Do you currently have a mentor?  Who is he/she?

A mentor can help assess strengths and weaknesses, as well as help you develop new skills for success and help keep your creativity loose. If you and your mentor share the same employer, your mentor can foster your sense of belonging within the organization, help you navigate the company culture and politics, as well as let you know who the organization’s key players are.  If you own your own business, do not think it is not important, an outside mentor can provide you with warm leads, ask you tough questions about your own business (prepare you for the ‘real world’) and give you confidence that you are moving your organization in the right direction.  All mentors provide a fresh perspective — a new way of looking at a problem or issue. Ideally, your mentor will motivate you to do your best work.

• What does an Instructional Design / Training & Development / Knowledge Management  mentorship look like? 
• How is one created? 
• What would both parties benefit from the relationship?

I look forward to your best practices and discussion points on this topic.