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Timeless Tom

Guest post by: Brian Sullivan

Article Overview: How to Be a Sales Champion at Any Age!

Timeless Tom

How does your sales performance compare this year to years past? Were you once a "sales champion" and leading your company's list of top performers? Or perhaps not long ago your career was trending upward and you couldn't wait to get out of bed in the morning to show the world just how good you were. Then perhaps somewhere along the way the momentum changed. Your spark wasn't as bright. Your attitude became more skeptical. Your dreams more "realistic." Then BAM, an amazing thing happened that reminded us all that you CAN still be a champion. That reminder was delivered by a 59-year-old golfer named Tom Watson who finished 2^nd at the British Open...a tournament he last won 26 years ago. His score was better than dozens of golfers who were ranked better and as much as 43 years younger...including Tiger Woods. Watson's performance reminds us that in sports and in business our BEST days CAN be ahead of us.

Just as the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team reminded the nation just how proud and good we were, Tom Watson's British Open performance this summer reminded us just how much more we all still have "in the tank." So what did it teach us?

Age means nothing as it relates to being a Top Performer. Which means you are NOT too old to learn what "Twitter" means. Not too old to actually USE that CRM tool that your company has invested in. Not too old to act excited when you land a big account. Tom Watson attitude at the British Open was not a "been there, done that...it's the younger generation's turn" attitude. It was a "you may be younger but you will NOT be better." There was not a TIRED APATHY that is often too prevalent among seasoned salespeople and leaders in business. Whether you are hitting off the first tee or knocking on that first customer door each morning,

And for you Rookies, age doesn't matter for you as well. At the Open there was a 16 year old Italian kid named Matteo Mannassero who finished not far beyond the seasoned Watson on the leader board. And is there little doubt that before the tournament, more than one "average" performer told Matteo that he didn't have any real chance of winning. But this kid didn't believe in the "wait your turn" philosophy and neither should you. YOUR TIME IS NOW! And don't let others, including experienced reps, tell you that it is going to take a long time for you to "get it." If you believe them, it WILL take a long time.

Experience is helpful but can't replace preparation. Few golfers practice and prepare as much as Tom Watson. And by practicing every shot he may need to make on game day, over and over, he creates confidence that he can make the shot. So is confidence important in your job, Sales Professional? If so, what do you practice over and over? Do you have a repeatable way of preparing for every call, building respect and trust, engaging with questions, conveying your solution, overcoming common objections, closing the deal, and exploring for other opportunities. Can you do THESE things well over and over again? If not, research the many books on sales process and commit to one program. Or if your company already has a common sales language, practice that. Remember, don't dabble, commit! And believe me, having a process doesn't mean you will sound too salesy or scripted. In fact, it will PREVENT you from sounding like a typical salesperson.

Sales, like golf, is an error-making and an error-correcting process. Great athletes like Tom Watson look for learning lessons every performance. They review each game, each match, each tournament once it is done. They then record what they did well and where they need to improve. Great salespeople do the same. They don't start their car until they first take at least 2 minutes to write down what they did well and where they need to improve. Because they know that there is no way to correct an error without first identifying it. So keep a journal of your sales calls. Is it a hassle? Maybe, but so is hitting a thousand golf balls a day! And who said being a champion is supposed to be easy anyway. If it was easy, everybody would be at the TOP.

So this selling season, remember what Tom Watson did this summer. And then prepare yourself to shock your company with what you plan on doing this fall. Because you are never too old, too young, too prepared or too smart to take the necessary steps to compete at the highest levels. And though you will fall down along the way, with an attitude like the great Tom Watson, at least you will be falling FORWARD. See you at the TOP!

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Article Tags: age, aging, champions, communication skills, experience, insurance sales training, medical sales training, precise selling, preparation, sales performance, sales tactics, sales training



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