Tips: What the NFL Has Taught Us!
One of the things that one of my first sales managers told me was that no matter what we do, “we are all replaceable”. If that is truly the case, then why did the NFL struggle recently with the referee situation? Yes, I’m going to pile on this bandwagon. I’m going to use the replacement referees as an example of why it is so important to work with true professionals, and how you can tell the difference between a pro and an amateur.
Over the past 3-weeks of the NFL season, we have witnessed why it is so important to have a fully trained and competent staff. The biggest complaint about the referees this past three weeks is two-fold; one being that the game was too fast for them and the other was their inability to manage the game. When you place people in a position that has certain demands, you expect them to keep up with the speed of the situation and not lose control. When a sales manager or business owner just plugs a person into a sales situation, one that doesn’t have the true training and commitment to being a professional, they often fail. The manager then puts others into the position and ends up with a bad taste in his or her mouth about sales people, because they don’t see the benefits. That is, until they find a true professional.
As a pro, we commit ourselves daily to continuous improvement. We go to various training courses and seminars, learning the best ways to answer objections, or learn more about the benefits of our products we represent. When asked a question, we can answer it or know where to find a solution. Given any type of customer, whether they are irate or exuberant, we know how to manage them. We don’t lose business, because we are trained to manage it. The sales call isn’t going too fast for us to adapt, we are controlling the pace and pretty much know what the outcome is going to be. If your team of sales pro’s miss opportunities, don’t manage the process well, and are not brining you value, maybe it’s because you have done what the NFL just went through. Maybe you hired bankers or bus boys to do something that you think anyone can do. Don’t make this mistake, and invest in sales professionals and continuous improvement programs for the team.
If you need guidance on how to turn your team into NFL Caliber professionals, give us a call at Pinnacle Sales, where we offer service above the rest.