As an avid sports fan, and as 2015 fast approaches, I can’t help but start to think about the Rugby World Cup coming to our shores next year. How England will fare we don’t know, suffice to say we’ll know how we’re progressing after the Six Nations in spring. In the run up, no doubt many England fans like me will be reflecting back to that balmy day in November 2003 when a certain Mr Wilkinson dropped the goal that won the cup for us in the Aussies own back yard (sorry, couldn’t resist). So what on earth has that got to do with selling? I suppose the real answer is probably not a lot but nevertheless; A game of rugby lasts for 80 minutes, and in preparing for a game the players train for approximately 6 hours a day for 5 or 6 days a week. Indeed I once read an article that the aforementioned Mr Wilkinson trained more than that and even trained on Christmas Day before his turkey. Like many I’m absolutely convinced that this extreme work ethic was a major contributing factor as to why he always seemed able to ‘do the business’ at critical times.
- So what about you and your sales team then?
- How much time to allocate for practice and training?
- Do you practice your presentation skills before the main event?
I had an argument from one sales person once who stated that we can’t possibly compare their business to rugby because Jonny Wilkinson was ‘a professional’. My response to this point in the clients meeting room could have been considered blunt and to the point: ‘so you’re an unprofessional then?’ much to the amazement of the rest of the team in a pretty uncomfortable ‘tumbleweed’ moment. Apparently on the bus to the stadium for the RWC Final in 2003 the team bus played Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’ which, if you’re familiar, has a line in it something like: ‘If you had one shot, just one opportunity to capture everything you ever wanted, in one moment, would you capture it or just let it slip?’ Your business may be ahead of its sales targets for the year and you may feel things are going well but should you really tolerate your people ‘practicing’ in front of your £ 50,000 prospects, especially knowing the cost and effort that has taken to get them to that stage ?
