Sales and the Olympics

The 2010 Vancouver Olympics were fun to watch. I have to admit, I enjoyed as much as I could over the past few weeks. From the opening ceremony to the closing ceremony and from the mountains to the ice rink venues, I find the competition fun, exciting and energizing.

As the two week competition wound down last weekend, I found myself thinking about why I so admire the athletes and the teams involved in every Olympic games. Sure, the competition is fantastic, and I think the appeal of these games goes way beyond just the competition. It is from that appeal that sales professionals can correlate to their own success.

The question that I asked myself, “what can sales professionals learn from Olympic athletes?” Regardless of the country or the sport, there are a few common denominators that each and every athlete possesses.

Preparation: In every sport I was able to view, preparation was key to the outcome. Game plans and visualization are two examples of the types of preparation that I saw first hand. Olympic athletes don’t “wing it.” They don’t show up and hope for the best. They understand the competition, the conditions of the course, and they prepare accordingly. Knowing what to do, how to do it, and when to do it is key to the Olympians’ success in the contest at hand.

Olympic sales professionals approach every interaction with clients and prospects with the same level of rigor. There is a plan or a purpose for each meeting and encounter. Nothing is left to chance. Deliberate communication is prepared, and sales calls that are planned and have clear objectives will be more successful than the professional visit without a clear objective or plan.

Passion: It seems to me that each and every athlete demonstrates passion for their chosen sport and venue. With passion comes conviction. Conviction that he or she can win and conviction that he or she will win. Have you ever noticed that passion is contagious? If you have the opportunity to spend time with someone who is truly passionate about his profession, it is almost impossible not to be influenced by that individual.

Early in my sales career, I was told that people won’t buy from me because they are convinced if they aren’t convinced that I am convinced. In other words, if I don’t have the conviction that the products and services that I represent aren’t the very best alternative to my prospects – there is a good chance that they won’t be convinced either. In the sales profession, if you are to reach unparalleled performance, it is critical to have that passion and conviction and make sure you are “contagious” to your prospects.

Hard Work: Let’s face it; the work ethic of many of these athletes is astounding. They train physically and mentally for all aspects of their sports. The habits and training routines for Olympic athletes is key to much of their success. While many Olympic sports require strength and speed, many also involve general physical conditioning to avoid injury and earn a medal. Training at all hours of the day and night is often the commitment an Olympic athlete makes. We train when we can, not when it is convenient. Muscle memory is developed with repetition and practicing the right things.

Similarly, world-class sales professionals approach their profession with an understanding of work ethic and continuous improvement. They realize that they can strive to do better. They learn from every mistake and error of omission during a sales cycle. Their dedication to their customers, profession, and generating results is worth the effort and the effort is made.

Excellence: There is no question that Olympic athletes have reached the top of their game. They have each reached the pinnacle of excellence in their sport and in their homeland. In many cases, Olympic athletes are heroes at home and revered for the dedication, their results, and their effort. They represent excellence and are admired for making the extremely difficult look easy and effortless.

Regardless, of what they do or who they do it for, sales people who take pride in their work and strive to be the best out perform those that don’t. Taking the time not only to do things right, but also to do the right things is only a small piece of being an excellent sales professional. Doing the things one may think is drudgery (prospecting, cold calling, asking for referrals) is critical to our success.

Fun: Win or lose, the athletes at the Olympics genuinely seem to enjoy every moment. The contest is fun, the preparation is fun, the celebration is filled with laughter and the experience is revered. Isn’t that what life is all about? The ability to enjoy the work and celebrate the result makes every day sweeter. The youthful exuberance demonstrated at the Olympics is fun and makes watching it fun. And the unbridled excitement of a sales executive who just closed a big deal is awe inspiring!

Treat each opportunity as a contest and competition. Isn’t that what we are doing – playing to win? Sales achievement is sport! The best compete every day with preparation, passion, hard work and a commitment to excellence. The process and the results are fun and rewarding!

Where can you begin to think and act like an Olympic Athlete and improve your results! The podium is waiting, ring the bell and celebrate!