Be specific

As a sales manager, all of the feedback you provide to your team offers an opportunity to learn. However, general comments -- positive or negative – often don’t provide enough information for the salesperson to apply to future situations.

Go beyond the average “You crushed it” and instead say, “I liked the way you noted the three business challenges the prospect discussed, summarized what you heard, and asked whether you missed anything.”

Practice describing the specific action you liked, along with the behavior’s effect on you. When providing feedback, keep this simple formula in mind: “I noticed you did Behavior A, and the outcome of that action was X.”