Rough Diamond
Sales Mentoring

Sales mentoring is all about transferring knowledge from those who already have it to those who would benefit from having it. Hearing about someone else’s real-life experiences, what mistakes were made and what lessons can be learned, so those same mistakes are not repeated.

If you carry on doing the same as what you have always done, you will continue to get the same results. So, if nothing challenges us to find new techniques and methods for doing things, there will be no development and sellers are unlikely to reach the next level of sales success.

Sales mentoring is now considered a ‘best practice’ for any sales organisation that is serious about change, development and improvement. Mentoring is not a substitution for training but is a support tool for the real-world application of what has been learned during training.

A sales mentor is an experienced, seasoned, successful seller who becomes a confidante and transfers knowledge to those with a desire to improve. A mentor offers advice, guidance, boosts confidence, encourages the formation of new ideas, and, of course, gives honest feedback and constructive criticism.

• Enhanced confidence and self-esteem.
• Drives professional career development
• Increases opportunities for promotion
• Improves sales skills and wisdom, enabling better-informed decision making
• Highlights areas of knowledge deficiencies needing further development
• Initiates a vibrant, open, and challenging relationship with the mentor
• Improves tactical planning, problem-solving and planning skills
• Promotes a positive self-image and reduces stress and dissatisfaction
• Improves sales results and ROI for sales training

• Reduces staff turnover
• Advances individual and sales force outcomes and team dynamics
• Better trained, more knowledgeable and skilled staff
• Improved likelihood of hitting goals and achieving targets
• Dissemination and sharing of broader knowledge base
• Better ROI for the expense of sales training
• Improved collaboration and knowledge transfer across the organisation
• Consolidation of organisational culture, morals, and values

A Rough Diamond mentor is there to give a friendly shove, to challenge, listen and offer an understanding shoulder to lean on.

It also provides the opportunity to benefit from the mistakes we have previously made and learn how we triumphed over adversities and difficulties.

• Be someone you can trust
• Reassure you with the knowledge that they can help you achieve your objectives
• Be a neutral observer, with no grudge to bear.
• Have your best interests at heart with your goals and ambitions in mind.
• Have a deep well of sales experience to share and help you
• Be someone to provide unbiased feedback and talk through ideas
• Be someone to challenge you

Utilising the skills of a mentor is not a sign of accepting you have a deficiency, but rather a positive indicator of strength. It is a sign that you have the desire to be the best you can be and explore all available avenues in the pursuit of your goals and ambitions. It’s not about becoming a replica of the mentor; it’s about soaking up their experiences, knowledge and advice and building it into a methodology that is suitable for you and your own personal challenges.

Initially, we arrange a meeting, preferably at your workplace, where we can go through what you want to achieve from the mentoring process. This discussion also gives you the chance to get to know your prospective mentor, hear about their experiences, background and skills and make sure that you get on together. The strength of the relationship between mentor and protégé is central to the success of the mentoring process, and you need to be sure that the mentor is the right person to help you.

After this, we will create a tailored mentoring schedule to suit your specific requirements. We can offer either regular get-togethers or one-off discussions, or a combination of both as and when you choose.

In person meetings or web seminar mentoring events should ideally happen at a comfortable location away from your work environment, where you will not be interrupted or disturbed. Sessions typically last around an hour, but timings can be adjusted to fit circumstances.

Once the mentoring relationship has been formed, our initial session will be about defining your goals and ambitions. We will identify, talk about, and list issues and obstacles to overcome as well as discuss areas in need of development.

Your mentor will be the one responsible for keeping the relationship on track, measuring, observing, challenging and guiding you towards your goals.

The mentor will also check that your development is ongoing and progressively moving in the right direction until the conclusion of the process when we will reflect on your growth, achievements and success.

For more details about how a Rough Diamond mentor can transform your talents and help you become the salesperson you always aspired to be, contact us today to arrange a personal discussion.