Everything I Need to Know About Sales I Learned Through Sports
Most people have heard of Robert Fulgham's expression, "Everything I need to know, I learned in kindergarten." The idiom refers to the importance of instilling strong morals and principles in children at a young age. In the sales arena, teams need strong morals and principles, too. Participation in sports can be used to teach salespeople the importance of effective recruitment, leadership and working in teams.
Effective Recruitment
Just as teams could not play a game without coaches first recruiting players, sales teams would not exist without a manager first recruiting a staff. No two people are created alike, so it is the manager's task to find the right balance of personalities in the assembled sales staff. Most sports teams are created with a mixture of athletes skilled in different areas. So, too, is a typical sales force. Here are a few personality traits commonly found in successful salespeople: self-motivated, hard-working, determined to succeed and organized. But, because most people have different blends of these qualities, it is the manager's responsibility to build a team that will be equally cooperative and competitive.
Leadership
Joe Montana, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky. These sports legends were leaders. In order for a sports team to be successful, it must have an accomplished leader to rally behind when trailing and to rely upon when no one else can lead the team to a win. Leaders in sales teams are expected to do the same. When a salesperson relies on a business client for referrals, he should lead by example and build trust by sending a referral to the client first. Leaders of sales teams must provide the successful workplace to allow their members to achieve their goals.
Leaders also are responsible for strengthening the team by furnishing the tools to succeed. It is particularly important for experienced team members to personally train and develop younger members in the sales skills that they are accustomed to using. The goal of every leader is summed up in this quote: "The ultimate leader is one who is willing to develop people to the point that they surpass him or her in knowledge and ability." – Fred A. Manske Jr.
Working in Teams
Team sports bring individual players with diverse skills and personalities to work together to achieve a common goal. The same can be said for sales teams. The most important characteristics of working in teams are synergy and continuity. How individuals relate to each other has an impact on team performance.
Team members are not required to love each other, but they are expected to value each other's opinions and actions.
The 1999 University of Hawaii Warrior football team preached, "One team, one dream," to reflect each individual's deference to the team's goal. Through synergy (1+1=3), the collective efforts of individual members are added to form a larger group effort when combined as a team.
The second characteristic of effectively working in a team is continuity. It is important for a sales team to follow a regular schedule of weekly behaviors and have weekly sales goals for its team members. By maintaining a stable atmosphere, the sales team can generate sales and bookings more effectively. A rigid and unwavering schedule is especially important in a high turnover occupation like sales. If a member leaves, or another joins, the dynamics of the team can change significantly. A stable work schedule, however, will help prepare and organize the newer hires' activities, giving them a jump-start on reaching their sales goals.
Post-Game Analysis
The message is clear: apply the lessons learned from sports into your daily regimen. Whether you are the June Jones of your organization, or the Timmy Chang of a sales team, remember that the skills developed while participating in sports can be valuable tools in a professional arena. Everyone can develop leadership skills through participation in sports. If you utilize the lessons learned through sports in your daily life, you will have a successful career.
Manly Kanoa III played for the University of Hawaii football team from 1997 to 2001.
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