There’s a common myth when it comes to leadership in the business world and it’s this — coaching is just for business owners and executives at the top of the organizational chart. Sure, business owners and executives should absolutely get coaching to level up their leadership. It’s essential for their personal and professional growth. But business owners and executives aren’t the only ones who can benefit from coaching.
In fact, as a business savvy real estate professional, I know that you know that coaching (and training) for yourself and your team members is one of the best investments you can make — both in the short term and the long term. And, if you’re in one of these positions at a company, consider asking for coaching.
Coaching is always a good investment, as long as you work with a coach who has a track record of success, find the right fit for you and commit to doing the work. Here are the positions that can benefit from coaching and why.
Real estate sales professionals
There is an art and science to sales. Negotiation skills, lead generation scripts, objection handling, listening and asking questions, empathizing and knowing when to offer hard advice, the hard data of calls, conversion, appointments, sales — real estate sales professionals need to be coached on the hard skills and learn how to manage their emotions from one client to the next.
You can’t bring your baggage, good or bad, from one client to the next. Whether it’s an offer that just got accepted above asking price or a client who just decided to fire you after seeing 20 homes with you, you have to stay centered, fall back on your training, show up in the moment and serve the client you’re with.
A coach will hold you accountable to your goals and your numbers (contracts, sales, sales volume, etc.), and help you become who you need to be for yourself and your clients.
Productivity or sales coaches
If you are responsible for coaching and training hundreds of sales professionals, then you, too, need to invest in coaching. With the rapidly changing industry trends and the unprecedented time we’re currently living in, the individual who is training your sales force must be one step ahead (both in their skill set, and in their emotional intelligence and adaptability quotient).
Great coaches lead themselves first, and it often takes the guidance and accountability of a coach to help you realize your full potential. There’s nothing wrong with that!
Executive assistants or force multipliers
Whatever title you’ve given to your “right hand,” invest in coaching for him or her. Why? Because as much as we want our assistants, chiefs of staff, force multipliers or executive assistants to be able to read our minds and anticipate our every need (while never asking a question, simultaneously creating efficiencies in the office and coming up with ideas on how to maximize our time and help the company grow — all within the first hour), a true strategic partnership takes time and a whole lot of work.
I know your standards and expectations are high. You want your force multiplier running on all cylinders immediately. They want that, too. The fastest way to get there is by investing into the partnership through purposeful meetings and communication, coaching and training (together), and learning about each other’s natural behavior, communication, leadership, and work styles.
This individual is tasked with running with you (and hopefully staying one step ahead). If you’re constantly growing through personal and professional development, then they need to be, too.
Director of operations, operations managers, COOs
This person is handling the day-to-day operations of running your real estate business. Leadership coaching — which spans both business and life coaching — is a must.
Team leaders, recruiters, directors of talent acquisition
Similar to a sales professional, recruiters must balance being equipped with the right “script” while diving deep into the needs of the prospect they’re talking to. Look, Zig Ziglar knew what he was talking about when he said, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”
Recruiting and coaching have that in common! Recruiting is also a numbers game. A great coach can help keep you accountable to the activities you need to do to be successful, and many of those activities will be focused on who you need to become to attract talent.
Talented individuals want to hang out with other talented individuals. If you’re not showing up as a leader in your personal and professional life, a potential recruit is going to see right through you.
CEOs, owners
The speed of the leader, the energy of the leader and the emotional fitness of the leader is the speed, energy and emotional fitness of the team. It starts from the top. A leader without a coach can still get the job done — no question. But a leader with a coach will become an unstoppable, influential individual who will develop other leaders. Ultimately, they’ll increase the consciousness and effectiveness of the entire organization and community.
A coach will challenge a leader’s thinking, call them out on their bad habits and behavior, encourage them to have the uncomfortable conversations, and be a sounding board when tough decisions have to be made. A great coach will help leaders unlock their potential, and eventually, everyone will benefit from that.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to coaching. Coaching is an individual experience designed to help someone achieve their goals. All heroes have someone guiding them on their journey.
Can you imagine Luke Skywalker without Yoda, Harry Potter without Dumbledore, or the Karate Kid without Mr. Miyagi? Neither can I. Everyone can benefit from coaching. Find your guide, and get started on your growth journey today.
Adam Hergenrother is the founder and CEO of Adam Hergenrother Companies
