Three phases: Stabilise → Elevate → Accelerate

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Phase 1 – Stabilise (Days 1–30)

Goal: Build trust, understand your team, establish rhythm, diagnose performance gaps.

Your Focus

• Build relationships quickly.
• Understand each broker’s business.
• Identify skill, will, and process gaps.
• Set expectations and structure.
• Create psychological safety.

Your Actions

• Run a “First 1:1” with every broker covering goals, strengths, frustrations, pipeline, and support needs.
• Diagnose each broker by reviewing activity, submission velocity, conversion, notes quality, workflow, and confidence.
• Establish your weekly rhythm with Monday pipeline reviews, daily follow‑up blocks, Wednesday progression checks, and Friday accountability sessions.
• Shadow appointments to observe fact‑find quality, rapport, needs analysis, solution positioning, and closing.
• Provide quick wins such as warm leads, simple refinances, and existing customer reviews.

Success by Day 30

• Brokers trust you and understand your expectations.
• You have a clear performance map of your team.
• Weekly rhythm is established and followed.
• Early improvements in speed and activity.
• Underperformers have a 30‑day turnaround plan in motion.

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Phase 2 – Elevate (Days 31–60)

Goal: Lift capability, improve workflow, and drive consistent behaviour.

Your Focus

• Capability uplift.
• Workflow optimisation.
• Speed to submission.
• Consistency in activity.
• Reducing rework.

Your Actions

• Deliver targeted capability coaching on fact‑finds, objections, document requests, submission quality, and platform usage.
• Improve workflow discipline by fixing notes quality, document clarity, deal progression, time in stage, and rework loops.
• Introduce performance dashboards to help brokers self‑diagnose.
• Lift the middle performers who often deliver the biggest ROI.
• Build team culture through wins, peer learning, and recognition.

Success by Day 60

• Brokers are faster, cleaner, and more confident.
• Submission quality improves.
• Activity becomes consistent.
• Middle performers lift noticeably.
• Underperformers stabilise or improve.
• Team culture feels positive and supported.

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Phase 3 – Accelerate (Days 61–90)

Goal: Drive high performance, embed accountability, and scale your leadership impact.

Your Focus

• High‑performance habits.
• Accountability.
• Autonomy.
• Scaling your coaching.
• Strategic growth.

Your Actions

• Set 90‑day performance plans for each broker including activity, submissions, conversion, income, and behavioural commitments.
• Build autonomy by shifting brokers toward self‑diagnosis and proactive planning.
• Create a high‑performance rhythm with monthly reviews, quarterly planning, peer accountability, and micro‑training.
• Strengthen top performers with stretch goals, leadership opportunities, complex deals, and visibility.
• Remove systemic friction by working with credit, ops, tech, and support to streamline broker workflow.

Success by Day 90

• Team performance is trending upward.
• Brokers are consistent, confident, and structured.
• You’re seen as a trusted, capable leader.
• Underperformers have improved or have clear next steps.
• Top performers are engaged and growing.
• The team has a strong rhythm and culture.

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Your Leadership Identity

By Day 90, your brokers should describe you as:

• Supportive
• Clear
• Structured
• Fair
• Capable
• Someone who makes them better

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Veteran brokers don’t trust titles — they trust competence, respect, and value.
The goal is to become the person who makes their business stronger, not heavier.

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1. Lead with curiosity, not authority

Veterans shut down when they feel “managed”. Start by seeking to understand, not to direct.

• “Walk me through how you run your business day‑to‑day.”
• “What’s working well for you right now?”
• “Where do you feel friction in your workflow?”

This signals respect, not control.

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2. Validate their experience

Veterans need to feel seen and respected for what they’ve already built.

• “You’ve clearly built a strong way of working over the years.”
• “Your experience is valuable — I want to understand it.”
• “I’m here to help you win more, not change what’s already working.”

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3. Add value early — and specifically

They trust people who make their life easier.

• Help progress a stuck deal.
• Clean up messy notes or structure.
• Speed up a submission or unblock something with credit/ops.
• Give them a warm, high‑quality lead.

One early win creates instant credibility.

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4. Use data to challenge, not opinion

Make it about the work, not the person.

• “Your conversion from fact‑find to submission is 18%. The team average is 32%. What’s your read on that?”
• “Your time in stage is double the group. Let’s unpack why.”

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5. Ask for their perspective before giving yours

Position them as a partner, not a student.

• “What do you think is driving that?”
• “How have you approached this in the past?”
• “What options do you see here?”

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6. Protect their autonomy

Veterans fear micromanagement more than anything.

• “I’m not here to change your style — I’m here to help you sharpen it.”
• “You run your business. I’m here to support the parts that slow you down.”

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7. Recognise them publicly, coach them privately

Respect their pride while still lifting performance.

• Public praise: “Shoutout to Sarah — great customer feedback this week.”
• Private coaching: “Let’s talk about your follow‑up rhythm. I think we can tighten this.”

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8. Don’t try to impress them — help them win

They care less about your title and more about outcomes:

• “Can you help me write more business?”
• “Can you help me get deals through faster?”
• “Can you help me earn more?”

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9. Be consistent — veterans test new leaders

They will test your boundaries, follow‑through, and standards.

• If you say you’ll do something, do it.
• If you set a standard, hold it.
• If you promise support, deliver it.

Consistency builds trust.

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10. Show you’re here to build, not police

Make your intent explicit.

• “My job is to remove friction so you can focus on customers.”
• “If something slows you down, I want to know about it.”
• “I’m here to help you grow your business, not sit over your shoulder.”

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Summary

Veteran brokers will follow you if you:

• Respect their experience.
• Add real, practical value quickly.
• Use data, not ego.
• Protect their autonomy while sharpening their performance.
• Stay consistent in your words and actions.

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30‑Day Trust‑Building Playbook for a new Sales Manager

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Week 1 – Listen, Learn, and Signal Respect
1. Run a “First 1:1” with every broker

• “Walk me through how you run your business day‑to‑day.”
• “What’s working well for you right now?”
• “Where do you feel friction?”
• “What do you need from me to make your life easier?”

2. Shadow their workflow

• Appointments
• Follow‑up blocks
• Submission workflow

3. Validate their experience

• “You’ve clearly built a strong way of working.”
• “Your experience is valuable — I want to understand it.”

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Week 2 – Add Value Fast
4. Solve one real problem for each broker

• Progress a stuck deal
• Clean up notes
• Speed up a submission
• Fix a bottleneck with credit or ops

5. Introduce a simple weekly rhythm

• Monday – Pipeline review
• Wednesday – Deal progression
• Friday – Wins and accountability

6. Give them a quick win

• Warm lead
• Simple refinance
• Existing customer review

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Week 3 – Coach Without Threatening
7. Use data, not opinion

• “Your time in stage is double the team average — what’s your read on that?”
• “Your conversion is strong, but submission velocity is slowing you down.”

8. Ask before advising

• “What do you think is driving this?”
• “What options do you see?”

9. Coach privately, praise publicly

• Public praise for wins
• Private coaching for improvements

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Week 4 – Set Expectations and Show Consistency
10. Set clear expectations

• Activity
• Follow‑up
• Submission speed
• Notes quality
• Weekly rhythm

11. Follow through on everything

Veterans test new leaders. Consistency builds trust.

12. Reinforce autonomy

• “You run your business. I’m here to remove friction.”
• “I’m here to help you win more, not change what’s already working.”

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By Day 30

• Brokers trust you and open up.
• Veterans stop testing your boundaries.
• They follow your rhythm willingly.
• You’re seen as a partner, not a manager.

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For Sales Managers working with experienced brokers

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Step 1 – Assess the 6 Core Dimensions (Score 1–5)
1. Skill

• Fact‑find quality
• Product knowledge
• Deal structuring
• Submission quality

2. Will

• Motivation
• Energy
• Ownership
• Responsiveness

3. Workflow Discipline

• Notes quality
• Document requests
• Time in stage
• Follow‑up rhythm

4. Speed

• Follow‑up speed
• Submission velocity
• Customer responsiveness

5. Coachability

• Openness to feedback
• Willingness to try new approaches
• Managing ego

6. Business Maturity

• Pipeline management
• Forecasting accuracy
• Self‑diagnosis ability

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Step 2 – Identify the Broker Type

Type A – The Weapon (25–30)

Elite operator. Needs stretch goals and leadership opportunities.

Type B – The Workhorse (20–24)

Consistent but plateaued. Needs sharpening and growth targets.

Type C – The Drifter (15–19)

Capable but inconsistent. Needs rhythm and accountability.

Type D – The Legacy Broker (10–14)

Old‑school habits. Needs gentle modernisation and workflow support.

Type E – The At‑Risk Veteran (<10)

Low engagement. Needs confidence rebuilding and structure.

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Step 3 – Build Their Personal Leadership Plan

• Broker type
• Top strengths
• Top friction points
• Your coaching strategy
• 30‑day goal
• 90‑day goal

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Step 4 – Reassess at Day 30

• Higher speed
• Cleaner workflow
• More consistency
• Better engagement
• More openness

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Coaching Scripts for Veteran Broker Types

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Type A – The Weapon

Elite operator. High autonomy. High output.

• Open: “You’re running a strong business. I want to help you scale it.”
• Frame: “Let’s squeeze more efficiency without adding hours.”
• Challenge: Improve submission velocity; identify bottlenecks.
• Reinforce: “You set the standard.”
• Close: Set one stretch goal.

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Type B – The Workhorse

Consistent, reliable, plateaued.

• Open: “You’re dependable. Let’s get more return for the same effort.”
• Frame: Small improvements, not overhaul.
• Challenge: Tighten follow‑up rhythm; reduce time in stage.
• Reinforce: “You’ve built the foundation.”
• Close: One improvement for two weeks.

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Type C – The Drifter

Capable but inconsistent.

• Open: “When you’re on, you’re on. Let’s get consistency back.”
• Frame: Rhythm over effort.
• Challenge: Identify what breaks their rhythm.
• Reinforce: “Structure makes you perform.”
• Close: Run a tight weekly rhythm.

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Type D – The Legacy Broker

Old‑school habits. Strong relationships.

• Open: “You’ve built a great business. I respect it.”
• Frame: Modernise workflow, not style.
• Challenge: Improve speed and notes.
• Reinforce: “I’m removing friction.”
• Close: One workflow improvement.

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Type E – The At‑Risk Veteran

Low engagement, low confidence.

• Open: “How are you feeling about the business?”
• Frame: Support, not pressure.
• Challenge: Identify barriers; rebuild momentum.
• Reinforce: “You’re not alone.”
• Close: Simplify for two weeks.

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Full Coaching Playbook for All Broker Types

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Part 1 – Coaching Philosophy

• Insight, not instruction
• Respect first, challenge second
• Behaviour over stories
• Short cycles, fast feedback
• Autonomy with accountability

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Part 2 – Universal Coaching Framework

• Observe
• Ask
• Teach
• Practice
• Commit
• Follow‑up

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Part 3 – Coaching by Broker Type Type A – The Weapon

• Needs: stretch, efficiency, partnership
• Focus: speed, workflow, strategic growth
• Script: “Let’s scale without adding hours.”

Type B – The Workhorse

• Needs: sharpening, efficiency
• Focus: follow‑up, time in stage
• Script: “Small improvements, big return.”

Type C – The Drifter

• Needs: structure, accountability
• Focus: rhythm, consistency
• Script: “Let’s lock in your best version.”

Type D – The Legacy Broker

• Needs: respect, gentle modernisation
• Focus: notes, speed, workflow
• Script: “Modernise the parts that slow you down.”

Type E – The At‑Risk Veteran

• Needs: support, confidence, simplicity
• Focus: quick wins, momentum
• Script: “Let’s simplify and rebuild.”

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Part 4 – 30‑Day Coaching Plan

• Week 1 – Diagnose
• Week 2 – Add Value
• Week 3 – Coach
• Week 4 – Lock In

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Part 5 – Success Indicators

• Veterans trust you
• Middle performers lift
• Drifters stabilise
• Legacy brokers modernise
• At‑risk brokers re‑engage
• Team rhythm is consistent
• You’re seen as a partner

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