In sales, goals often revolve around numbers—revenue targets, KPIs, and conversion rates. While these are essential for driving performance, there's another aspect of goal-setting that can significantly enhance the effectiveness and well-being of your sales team: character goals.
Character goals focus on personal development, fostering traits that not only contribute to individual success but also elevate the entire team’s culture and performance.
Table of contents
What are character goals?
Why character goals matter in sales coaching
A framework for setting character goals
Examples of character goals in sales coaching
Character goals in context
What are character goals?
Character goals are targets to improve part of a person’s character with the intention to improve the results they achieve in their role. They might include traits such as:
- Resilience
- Curiosity
- Organization
- Empathy
If you were asked ‘what makes a good sales person or CSM?’, the list of traits or characteristics you come up with make a great starting point to understanding what character goals your team can work towards.
In Brett Ledbetter’s research studying top coaches, he found the best coaches ‘Focus less on results, more on the process and recognize [that] character fuels the process.’. His findings highlight the powerful link between deeply rooted personal traits and the results an individual archives.
Why character goals matter in sales coaching
Despite their importance, character goals are rarely thought of in sales teams’ day to day and even more rarely in sales coaching sessions. Reflecting on this topic, I realized words associated with character goals are most present in two scenarios for me; when I’m hiring and when I’m firing.
In hiring conversations, we use phrases like ‘I’m looking for someone with real grit and determination’. And when firing, we might say things like ‘He just wasn’t resilient enough’. But this language is rarely used in 1-2-1s or in regular coaching conversations.
Character goals are often overlooked because their impact isn't immediately quantifiable. However, the long-term benefits are profound. These goals shape the attitudes, behaviors, and interpersonal skills that can lead to more sustainable success in sales.
Character goals help in:
- Building resilience: Sales can be tough. Rejection is part of the job. Developing resilience helps reps bounce back quicker, maintain their motivation, and keep a positive outlook.
- Improving client relationships: Traits like empathy and active listening are vital for understanding client needs and building trust, which ultimately leads to more successful sales.
- Enhancing team dynamics: A team that values integrity, accountability, and collaboration is more cohesive and productive.
A framework for setting character goals
Setting character goals should be an intentional part of your sales coaching strategy. Here’s a step-by-step framework that sales managers can use to help their reps identify and work towards meaningful character goals:
1. The character, process, results grid
Start with a group exercise involving all your team, using the template below.
Begin in the ‘Results’ column on the right hand side and list the results your team are looking to achieve. This may be things like increased contract value, reduced churn or specific revenue targets
Then move left and fill out the ‘Process’ column, with the processes that need to take place in order to achieve the results. This will include things like stakeholder engagement, successful demo or lead generation activities.
Finally, move to the ‘Character’ column and make a list of the characteristics that would help achieve the processes listed.
This process is great because it gets the whole team together at the start of the initiative and helps people understand the connection between character traits and work outcomes. Once you’ve filled out the grid, take some time to chat about it amongst the team to see what other ideas and perspectives come out. Recognize what character strengths exist in the team and which activities they fuel most.
2. Self-assessment
Next up is a self-assessment to help your team members recognize their strengths and areas for growth. This step could be completed in 1-2-1s following the initial activity. Encourage them to reflect on questions like:
- Which area of the sales or revenue process would they like to improve on most?
- What situations have they found challenging recently?
- What personal qualities have helped me succeed in sales so far?
- What feedback have I received from others about my behavior or attitude?
This introspection helps reps gain clarity on which character traits they need to develop. For instance, a rep might realize that while they are driven and goal-oriented, they sometimes lack patience when dealing with difficult clients. They can then prioritize which character goals they will work on first.
3. Talk and define specific character goals
Once the self-assessment is complete, guide your reps in defining specific character goals by opening up the conversation.
If you have a rep whose character goal is confidence, bring the goal into regular conversation with questions like:
- What did they achieve last week where they felt confident?
- Where did they feel setbacks in their confidence? And what was it about the situation that caused that?
These conversations will help you narrow down character goals with practical steps and make them:
- Personal: Tailored to the individual’s unique needs and experiences.
- Actionable: Focused on behaviors they can practice daily.
- Measurable: While character traits are abstract, the progress can be observed through changes in behavior and feedback from peers and clients.
For example, instead of setting a vague goal like “be more patient,” a rep could set a goal to “practice active listening by waiting for clients to finish speaking before responding”. The clearer the goal the better, so reps can begin to coach themselves too.
4. Integrate character goals with performance goals
Character goals should complement, not replace, performance goals. Help your reps see how developing certain traits can enhance their ability to meet their targets.
For instance:
- A rep who sets a character goal to improve their resilience might find that they’re less discouraged by setbacks, leading to more consistent prospecting efforts.
- A goal focused on developing empathy could result in better client relationships, which in turn, boosts repeat business and referrals.
When character goals are tied to performance outcomes, reps are more motivated to work on them.
5. Regular check-ins and feedback
Consistency is key to character development. Although us revenue leaders love a deadline and a number, I do not believe putting a deadline on these character goals is helpful. This is about development. Instead, incorporate regular check-ins to discuss progress on character goals. Use these sessions to:
- Celebrate small wins: Acknowledge even minor improvements in behavior, as this reinforces positive change.
- Provide constructive feedback: Offer specific examples of where the rep succeeded or struggled in exhibiting the desired trait.
- Adjust goals as needed: Character development is an ongoing process. Be flexible and adjust goals based on the rep’s progress and evolving challenges.
6. Create a supportive environment
Fostering character growth requires a supportive team environment. Encourage peer-to-peer feedback and create opportunities for reps to learn from one another’s experiences. As a manager, model the traits you want to see in your team. Your behavior sets the tone for the entire group.
Consider implementing team-wide initiatives that focus on character development, such as:
- Workshops and training sessions on topics like emotional intelligence, communication skills, or stress management.
- Team challenges that encourage the practice of specific traits, like patience or accountability.
- Recognition programs that highlight not just top performers, but also those who demonstrate exceptional character.
Examples of character goals in sales coaching
To make this concept more tangible, here are some examples of character goals that can be set in a sales coaching context alongside active practices that can help achieve them:
- Empathy: “I will make it a point to understand the client’s perspective by asking at least three clarifying questions during every meeting.”
- Resilience: “When facing rejection, I will take five minutes to reflect on what I can learn from the experience before moving on to the next task.”
- Patience: “I will wait until the client has fully expressed their thoughts before I offer solutions, ensuring I fully understand their needs.”
These goals are not just about achieving sales targets—they are about becoming better sales professionals and, ultimately, better people.
Character goals in context
Incorporating character goals into your sales coaching strategy is a powerful way to foster personal growth and improve overall performance. By focusing on traits like resilience, empathy, and patience, you can help your sales team not only meet their targets but also develop the qualities that lead to long-term success and fulfillment.
As a manager, your role is to guide your team in setting these goals and provide the support they need to achieve them. Over time, this approach will build a team of not just high performers but individuals of strong character, capable of thriving in the competitive world of sales.
By emphasizing character goals alongside traditional performance metrics, you’ll create a more holistic, effective, and sustainable sales coaching environment. And in my experience, setting one character goal at a time to focus on is enough and the most productive way to achieve it.
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Check out our fundamental guide to sales coaching here.
Shelley Lavery is the CRO and Co-Founder of Jiminny, the leading conversation intelligence and sales coaching platform that helps companies maximize their revenue. With over a decade of experience in coaching B2B sales teams, Shelley was previously Group SVP of Sales at Reward Gateway now leading the conversation intelligence discussion with expertise and insight.
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