by Duane Weber
It’s better to imitate genius than invent mediocrity.
Contrary to what some believe, a game is not lost on a single play but on the entire body of mistakes throughout the game. After an NFL game, coaches review the game play by play. They break down single plays in slow motion, isolating each and every player, reviewing their performance. This information is brought to the team film sessions and then to practice. Players listen intently to the coaches and implement the changes that the coaches recommend. Oftentimes the modifications are very small but lead to big results. Can you imagine an NFL player arguing with his coach?
Does your sales team have the same open interaction? The best do. In great organizations, sales managers, professionals in their own right, carefully evaluate their sales people’s performance. Sales calls are debriefed in great detail. Just as professional players are open to a coach’s feedback, professional salespeople are open to their manager’s feedback. Feedback from a good leader makes for a better, more successful salesperson.
“Winning is not a sometime thing…it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win once in a while…you don’t do the right thing once in awhile…you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit.” - Vince Lombardi |
Rarely is a sales call caught on film. Sales managers get a clear picture of the meeting through extensive questioning techniques that clear up any wishy-washy details and ascertain the real facts of the sales call. Just as game film paints an unmistakable picture of the plays, the sales manager’s questions clearly identify every aspect of the sales process. Salespeople in great organizations are eager to receive feedback and improve on their performance.
The best NFL teams allow each player to utilize their own unique strengths and talents within the framework of a rigid system. The best sales teams also have a specific sales process that every salesperson follows while utilizing their own abilities. Imagine if an NFL wide receiver did his own thing just because that was “his way”. Unfortunately, many salespeople act in this manner. A standardized system not only creates best practices it also helps the sales manager and salespeople review the meeting with a clear idea of where breakdowns might have occurred.
A great organization has the right blend of strategy, structure, staff, and skills. A great sales team includes leaders who have the best interests of the organization and their ‘players’ in mind. A great sales person is one who is driven to be the best, accepts responsibility for their actions, and empowers the leader to help them be great.
At Sandler Training, Trustpointe we help create winning teams. To learn how to improve player/coach relations and make your own game film contact Duane Weber at 317.845.0041 or dweber@sandler.com
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