Instinctively, most of us know what we mean when we call someone a "coach" in the context of sales and account management, and we know that a coach network is one of the most important success factors in any significant sale. As a formal definition, we think of a coach as someone who:


is knowledgeable
is credible
is willing to help
wants us to win
wins if we win


By definition then, a coach isn't always someone who works at the account. So why is it that all too often we limit ourselves by thinking that our coach network consists solely of users found in the departments where we sell our solutions? The last two characteristics above are where the rubber really meets the road, and when you think about it this way it can really open up the possibilities. Who wants us to win and wins when we win? It could be anyone - a friend, a relative, a former employee, a customer in another organization...

One of the best sources of coaching can come from inside our own organizations. Consider these potential coaches:


a fellow sales rep or account manager who previously called on the account
other employees who have supported the relationship in one of many different ways
your teammates whose personal and professional networks include people from the account
members of your leadership team, who can support you with their experience and rank to assist you in broadening your network and gaining access to decision makers


Rather than overlook this source of coaching, we may want to begin our search right there inside our own team. After all, they have networks, insight and experience, and who wants us to win more than our own teammates?