In Salestrong sales training and sales coaching sessions we need to give feedback to sales people and sales managers. Most of our delegates agree that good feedback will help them to learn and develop, but it’s one thing saying it, and another taking the feedback and acting on it. To ensure that feedback is given in the best way possible, we teach our delegates to give feedback. The model we have developed at Salestrong to give feedback to sales people is the SCORE model.
Standard or Criteria
It’s important that we first set the context of the feedback, so we begin with, “The standard I’d expect to see in this situation is…..” Or if it is a more regulated environment like financial services sales or pharmaceutical sales, “The criteria that we are using in this type of situation is…”
Observation
Here we tell the recipient what we observed. This is done in a way that details what we observed, not an interpretation of what we observed. For example. “I saw you get angry,” is an interpretation. “I saw you rip up your paper and throw it away’” is an observation. The observation is easier for the recipient to agree with which is essential for feedback. Helping people to avoid their filters and start using observation is a key feedback skill often overlooked. No pun intended.
Recommendation
Salestrong sales training workshops attempt to use the collective experience of everyone in the room. Learning from colleagues is something that most of our sales training delegates actively seek. So those giving feedback are generally doing so because they can see how to help the recipient to improve. This is done through a recommendation. “I’d recommend that you…”
Effect
We want the recipient to buy into the feedback and a good way to do this is to help them to see the impact of changing to adopt the recommendation. “The impact of doing this will be…”
Conclusion.
People think that giving feedback is easy. It should be, but generally we see the need for improvement, particularly with sales people and sales managers. Adopting the SCORE method of feedback developed by Salestrong is a great way to deliver and receive feedback in sales training and sales coaching sessions.
