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Competitiveness, Sense of Humor, Passion and Appreciation

Guest post by: Gerry Layo

Article Overview: Life's (Sales) Lessons from the Links of Ireland. Our team of merry golfers from North America reaffirmed in me the importance of Competitiveness, Sense of Humor, Passion, and Appreciation in both golf as well as business. There are lessons all around us as to what we need to grow.

Competitiveness, Sense of Humor, Passion and Appreciation

A week in Ireland golfing with "the boys" taught me a few lessons about what it takes to be a winner in selling.

I had the good fortune to spend a week in Ireland with eleven other men playing some of the world’s BEST golf courses. The experience was filled with laughter, competition, camaraderie and fun! We were blessed with fabulous weather for the entire trip. It was truly a life experience!

As I walked the fairways of Ireland, I looked at the foursome ahead of me (from our group) and then back to the four gentlemen behind me. Combined with our four players, all of the men on this trip either owned their own companies or they were sales professionals. Those who owned their own companies had begun as salespeople as well. The group varied in age from early 40s to mid-70s and yet, had many things in common outside a passion for the game of golf. I'd like to highlight some of these similarities below.

Competitiveness

The trip was comprised of 12 men from Canada and 12 from the USA. We decided to hold a miniature version of The Ryder Cup (an International golf event between the US and Europe held every 2 years—actually held in Ireland the week following our trip). Each team had a captain (who decided team strategy) and we had a variety of competitions and bets each day. The battles were fierce each day with the US team winning by only one point (coming down to the last match) after three days. Although the competition was only for a small replica trophy and a dinner paid by the losers, nobody wanted to lose. The Canadian captain (Peter-a gem of a guy) was upset with the loss and when pressed admitted the following: “Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser!”

Upon reflection, I understood that everyone on that trip possessed a level of competitiveness that was just a “notch” above many other folks. In the profession of sales, you need to be focused on the "wins" to see your way through the "losses". You need to want it more than the next guy. In doing so, you will often be willing to do things that the competition won’t. You’ll work in the business between 9am and 5pm but work ON your business (yourself) before 8:00am and after 5:00pm. You’ll read, you’ll practice, and you’ll prepare better to increase your odds. Competitiveness is one of the hallmarks of great performers, great producers and great earners!

Sense of Humor

I like to have a good time. As a matter of fact, I have been known to admit that “The moment I stop having fun doing at what I do, I am out!” I cannot recall going on a trip (and I take a few every year) on which I laughed as much as this trip to Ireland. Each of the men on this trip had a sharp sense of wit and an ability to roll with the topic of the moment. The joke or the gag of the moment seemed to go on forever with input from each guy. This is not so unusualwith a group of top performers. Why? It takes a person of good humor and sharp wit to excel in the field of sales. In order for a joke, a gag or a specific line of humor to really “hit” it needs to be spur of the moment, witty and delivered with perfect timing. The person needs to first, be very tuned into what is going on around them (listen-watch-wait) before chiming in. This is very similar to sales. (LISTEN first!) Show me some of the best salespeople in the world and I will show you a group with a sharp wit, a good level of intelligence and timing, who know what to say and what NOT to say in order to make their statement have IMPACT. In addition, those with a great sense of humor are likeable and fun to be around. Who would you choose to buy from?

Passion

Imagine that 12 people from across North America in a variety of companies and “places in life” all converged in a foreign land that was, for some of us, up to 6000 plus miles from home simply to play golf. Imagine the passion for the history of the game. Imagine the passion for the game of golf itself. Now, throw in the fact that, as a team, we all wore uniforms on several of the days (yes there were team kilts and team knickers). Imagine a series of emails in advance of the trip that allowed each person to visit the courses via the internet and to delve into the history of the course. Passion for the game, in this case, drove each guy to do things that most others will not or cannot.

It has been said that “The customer does not buy because THEY are passionate about what you sell. They buy because YOU are passionate about what you sell!” One of the top characteristics of top performers in any arena (but especially sales) is that they possess a high level of passion (commitment, conviction, drive, persistence and stick-to-it-iveness) for what they do. With salespeople, it shows through in every action that they take. It shows through in their preparation, their curiosity/empathy, their delivery of value, their follow through, their communication and in everything else!

Appreciation

We were walking along the 12th hole at a course called Old Head in Kinsale, Ireland (possibly the greatest golf hole in the world), when we all at once, paused and took it all in. We had been on the course for nearly three hours among some of the most outrageously magnificentgolf course scenery in the world and we just stopped for a moment. There was a silent acknowledgement of what each of us was thinking: "NEVER take this for granted!" With all of the hard work, rejection, no-shows, postponements, lost customers, missed opportunities and other mishaps in all of our sales careers, here we all were, thousands of miles from home, on a golf course like this, on a day such as this day!

The battles that we all face out in the field or on the phones each day, as sales professionals, MUST come with rewards. The majority of salespeople and entrepreneurs all got intothe game of salesbecause thereare typically no limitations to what we can earn and, if we work SMART, there are no limitations to the things that we can do! There needs to be some serious appreciation for the opportunities that have allowed us to accomplish our goals. There needs to be a reflection on what it is that we have learned and the paths that we have chosen in order for us to refocus on the road ahead and the opportunities and challenges that lie with it.

Our team of merry golfers from North America reaffirmed in me the importance of Competitiveness, Sense of Humor, Passion, and Appreciation in both golf as well as business. There are lessons all around us as to whatwe need to grow. I hope to find out more in Scotland next year!

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Article Tags: Appreciation, Competitive, Golf, Passion, Sales, Sense of Humor



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