Sales and Sports

We make lots of analogies in sales about sports. Batting averages in baseball are often used to explain working through a ‘no’ to get to a ‘yes’. We practice our skills before we go live with call. We set a game plan in place for a call or meeting. As I sat today watching the US team implode in the Ryder Cup competition, I thought of another analogy we often forget, momentum of your team.

The reminder was powerful and stark while watching the match between Saturday and Sunday. For those of you who are not golf fans or did not see the contest, it was a historic win for the European team but a final day slaughter for the US team. Just like with other sports analogies, this one really stands the test of time in sales: Momentum is a winning team’s best friend and a losing team’s worst enemy.

Ringing The Bell

When we close deals at Acquirent, we ring a bell or set off a horn. That sound is infectious. On days when more than one person is lighting the light, I see it happen all around the office as other people want to join the winning momentum. As sales managers (like with a sports coach), we must also be mindful of when the bell is not ringing. I thought of this as I watched one after another member of the US team lost their singles match today at the Ryder Cup. With each loss, the other players on the field started to hang their heads and drop their shoulders, an early sign of the defeat.

Don’t Lose Momentum

As an individual sales rep, don’t lose sight of this powerful force either. If you are not winning, go hang out with the people who are. Don’t just sit around with the other losers and complain about your leads, the CRM system, customer sentiments or marketing material that are all of course to blame for your lack of sales. Remember that this is the very same material that top producers are using to hit their goals!

Keeping a Positive Attitude

Sales, like in sports, is often a numbers game. The best way to turn some numbers around is to make sure you keep that positive attitude about you. If you feel like your team is pulling you down, fire them up. If you are the one pulling others down, get your head right and find someone who inspires you. If only a few of the US team members today had turned their attitudes earlier, we would have likely seen a different outcome at The Ryder Cup this year.