Sports analogies are so commonplace in sales performance literature that I avoid them almost completely for fear of being brushed off as unoriginal, or worse – prideful in my own ignorant redundancy. Still, references to success in athletics while coaching sales activity remain relevant over time and industry trends for good reason. The whole ‘You get out what you put in’ mantra merits the attention it receives, and, in this being a blog about sales basics, I think the occasional reminder is healthy and necessary.
The typical response to the question of why athletes have the makings of good sales professionals is that athletes are likeable, coachable and understand the concept of a team. What seems to fly under the radar is the common trait that athletes thrive on competition, and I think a self-driven competitive outlook is the key driver of sports success that carries the most weight in selling.
As you narrow your focus on closing the deal, don’t lose sight of the fact that it’s still you versus the other guy, and the other guy could be working to win your sale at all hours. As surely as someone is going to win, true prospects are going to buy. Whether you’re a team of one or several thousand, you have to constantly train and re-evaluate your strategy in order to win. When the challenge seems most difficult, you have to dig deep inside yourself and focus on getting the job done one step at a time. There’s always somebody looking to knock off the champ…it’s hard not to get carried away once you get going.
Sales leaders should remind their athletes of the thrill of winning and the determination it took to get there. Nothing lifts the mood of a struggling sales rep like the memory of their greatest comeback or upset victory. Sales analogies are the pick-and-roll of sales coaching; A trusty standby for occasions where more novel insight escapes you.
Sales and sports. Sometimes cliché is OK. Sometimes. Now show me you have some heart out there!
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