The sports and sales metaphors are many this time of year. Regardless of the type of sport, (football, baseball, equestrian, tennis), Sports and Sales have much in common. Each requires discipline, training, commitment, desire, a positive outlook, responsibility, and self-motivation just to name a few. There is a reason for the metaphors.
I have been in sales in one form or another since I was 12 years old – some of you will remember when the newspaper was delivered to your home and not your phone! Emotion plays a big role in sales just like in Sports. In sales, we need to control our emotions and in sports we leverage them.
As a graduate of the University of Michigan, the season ended with an embarrassing loss to a bitter rival. Some might argue the Wolverines were the more talented football team, regardless they were beaten and out Coached by a team that was better prepared, and wanted it more! How is that possible?
Good question. There are ample resources available in Ann Arbor. There was huge importance both financially and emotionally — pride. It just does not make sense, but should cause everyone engaged in the effort at Michigan to reevaluate their personal commitment, desire, and responsibility beginning with the Head Coach.
Is your company’s revenue going to finish where you intended this year? Are you going to the College Football Playoffs or the damn Peach Bowl? Who is taking responsibility for your outcome?
Here is the tough question.
Coach Harbaugh has a great pedigree and has a lot of Wins. However, in the big games, especially the ones against rivals and tough opponents, his record is awful!! Why does the Athletic Director, the Regents at the University, and much of the Alumni give him a pass? Fear.
The fear of making a mistake. “He has a good overall record.” Does that sound any different than, “The Sales numbers are not that bad”
Ultimately in business and sales, the CEO is responsible because the CEO is responsible for everything. Sales leaders or Head Coaches should not get four or five years to hit the mark. Yet, I see it often. A CEO is reluctant to reevaluate their sales leadership and team; and worse, keep doing the same things around the sales organization.
Your sales force must be able to win the big accounts. Can your sales team be more effective? Have you thought about what it takes to build a world-class sales organization? Or, is that left up to the Sales Leaders?
Do you have the answers to these questions?
- What are the ideal skillsets for each role in the sales organization?
- Can you attract the people with the ideal skills to your organization given your product lines, company culture and compensation plan?
- Will the sales candidates you hire fit into your company and be able to execute your sales strategy?
- Does your Candidate Assessment tool reflect the hiring tool and give you the information you need about them?
- Is your interviewing process an impediment to hiring the right people?
- Do your people know what questions to ask that will expose hidden weaknesses of the candidates?
- Is your onboarding process consistent and effective?
Here is a simple tool that you can use to evaluate your PROCESS and understand where you are.
If you would like to have a business conversation about any of these questions, click here. Having a high standard, and high expectations require evaluation, AND not losing seven years in a row to OSU.
