Sales Lessons from Week 1 of The Olympics

The winter Olympics are in full swing and I’ll be the first to admit I’m a junkie! I just love competition featuring the best of the best worldwide. Of course, there are always lessons to be learned for us as sellers.

Here are the top five from week 1.

  1. Your mental game is as important as your physical game. Virtually every team I’ve heard interviewed or seen a story about has a physical and psychological coaching staff. These players know that their mindset has to be in top form for them to reach the podium. What are you doing each day to improve your mindset?
  2. Never give up! Just 11 months ago Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris was in a coma with a broken jaw, ruptured spleen, pelvis fracture, rib fractures and a collapsed lung after a backcountry snowboard accident. He is quoted as saying that while he has dealt with injuries in the past, he’s never endured an accident like this that almost killed him. This week, he won a bronze medal at the Olympics. While we are not often in physical harm as sellers, we do take our fair share of (virtual) left hooks and disappointments. Get up, stay focused on the long game and get back to work.
  3. Pressure can be a killer. Favorites have failed to perform, and all-stars are faltering under the pressure. Let’s face it, there’s internal pressure coming from within the athletes’ desire to perform as well as external pressure coming from the often large crowds they need to shine in front of. Those that are winning are staying focused on their game, applying the basics brilliantly and ensuring they give themselves room to breathe. They are managing risk brilliantly. For sellers, this means staying focused on activities that can help reduce the pressure on closing. Namely prospecting for leads and qualifying opportunities. When you have an overflowing sales funnel you are reducing the risks associated with closing and ensuring you will hit your targets
  4. The dance team of Moire and Virtue just set a world record score for their short program. If you watch the performance, it’s not hard to see why. Shawn White bounced back from injury to win another gold medal. Why? They clearly loved every minute of their competition, and their fans love them back. You can see it in their faces and their body language. Do you love your interactions with your customers or are you dying to end each meeting and sales call?
  5. Cheaters get caught. Russian and Japanese athletes have already failed doping tests. Do they really think they can outsmart the system? Sellers at the top of their game who want to remain there should never falter from using ethical tactics to get appointments on cold calls and ultimately close sales. Individuals and organizations who give in to dishonest tendencies such as providing false information about client accounts (Bell) or stealing from their customers by opening fake accounts (Wells Fargo) will get caught too.

[bctt tweet=”Take a chance to study the top performers of the Olympics and apply their behaviors to your sales routine.” username=”EngageColleen”]

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