The other day, I happened to catch media coverage of a PGA tournament.
The more I watched, the more I realized winners in sales are a lot like winners in golf … they both win by practicing 5 lessons they’ve learned.
Lesson 1 – Prepare
Golf winners spend years practicing and preparing for their events.
Sales winners do the same. They prepare themselves with deep research and knowledge about what they are selling and, especially, who is buying. They practice their skills relentlessly to prepare for every sales interaction, they watch sales videos, participate in sales groups, network personally, read sales blogs, books and articles on selling … repeatable actions that prepare them to compete and win.
Lesson 2 – Know the Field
Golf winners need to know the competitive field. They study their competitors, the course and every event detail to learn all they can about what to expect on tournament day.
Sales professionals striving to be winners know their field just as well. They’re always working to get answers to questions about their market …
- Who are my competitors?
- What are their advantages?
- Where are they vulnerable?
- What will it take to outperform them?
Answers give them what they need to know their field.
Lesson 3 – Believe
Golf and sales winners start with a strong belief in themselves.
They have a healthy level of confidence in their skills and abilities. They expect to win … and usually do.
They’ve learned to control their minds to conquer any doubts and fears that come up in competition.
Winners focus on believing their preparation, knowledge and skill will secure a win.
Lesson 4 – Overachieve
Winners in golf and sales are never completely satisfied. They set aggressive goals for themselves. They work relentlessly to meet these goals … and then to better them.
Achieving a “personal best” means resetting the goal; then, working nonstop to overachieve the new one.
Their constant drive to overachieve produces better and better results and outcomes … personal recognition, higher earnings, and successful careers.
Lesson 5 – Go for it All
Joining the winners’ circle at the tournament or in sales means going for it all and doing all that needs to be done to win.
Winners don’t allow any obstacles to stand in their way. They either plow through them – regardless of personal sacrifices, injuries or disappointments – or work to find a way around them.
Winners are driven and resilient. They get right back in the game and continue to compete, even when loss or defeat threatens. Tiger Woods showed us how to go for it all with his major comeback win at The Masters.
So how can you act on all 5 to reveal the hidden winner in you?
Feature image thanks to CNN June 17, 2019 article by Amir Vera.