Be Series 9-16-25 Being Coachable: Open Yourself to Feedback for Sustained Improvement

This month in the Sales BE Series, I focused on the powerful theme of being coachable—a mindset that accelerates both personal and professional growth. With sales managers, business owners, and entrepreneurs gathered, we explored how openness to feedback creates space for learning, growth, and long-term success.

What Does It Mean to Be Coachable?

I began by asking a simple but important question: Do you have a coach right now? Whether in business, wellness, or even learning a new skill, having someone to provide perspective, accountability, and encouragement is key. And if we expect our teams to be coachable, we must model that same willingness ourselves.

Being coachable isn’t about perfection—it’s about:

• Openness: Willingness to hear input without defensiveness.

• Self-awareness: Recognizing where resistance shows up in our own behavior.

• Structure: Putting the right systems in place to support action and follow-through.

• Consistency: Practicing one new behavior at a time until it becomes habit.

As I often say, “You can’t coach someone who isn’t coachable—that’s not coaching, that’s nagging.”

Lessons From the Group

The discussion brought forward real-world challenges and solutions:

• Cultural Shifts: Managers shared strategies for addressing strong personalities that impact team culture, stressing honesty, kindness, and private crucial conversations.

• Daily Huddles: Teams who added short, structured huddles saw dramatic improvements in motivation, peer support, and accountability.

• Observations & Coaching: Leaders emphasized the importance of observing sales interactions directly—not just looking at data—so we can truly coach behavior and outcomes.

• The Power of Sketching: Several participants highlighted the discipline of sketching (capturing a customer’s room layout). Consistent sketching increased average tickets and close ratios, reinforcing the value of accountability and visible tracking.

Key Coaching Questions

I shared three simple but powerful questions I use when coaching:

1. Did you sell it or schedule it?

2. How did your customer answer the badass questions?

3. How did you ask for the sale or the appointment?

These cut through excuses and keep the focus on action, accountability, and results.

The Takeaway

Being coachable requires courage. It asks us to welcome discomfort, try new actions, and stay accountable. As coaches, it’s about clarity—setting expectations, coaching one action at a time, and never letting up on what matters most.

One participant summed it up beautifully: “Consistency and accountability—over and over and over again—that’s what it takes.”

Now, it’s your turn: Where in your own work can you open yourself more fully to feedback? Start small. Choose one daily action to practice consistently, and notice the shift it creates.

oxo,
Jody