The Sport of Sales
A look at the world of sports and how it applies to us in leading our own sales team
This week I’ve chosen another topic I’ve been collecting content on for months. With Super Sunday just days away, I figured now was as good a time as any to get this one out.
So, while you’re preparing the menu for the big game, looking into the magic of Mahomes, or still just trying to convince Uncle Dave why Tom is 🐐 - there’s something for you this week.
Coach - team - win - lose - kick off - hail mary - activity - across the finish line - handoff - champion - slam dunk - leaderboard - stack ranking - playbooks - battle cards -batting average - goal - effort - homerun - huddle - run point - quarterback -
All words and phrases I’ve overheard or used in 15+ years in sales. (Did I miss any?)
There are just too many parallels to ignore. Whether you are a sports fan or not, the lessons and analogies are endless.
Studies have shown that former athletes - having learned hard work, residual practice, failure, and defeat- also have a propensity to succeed when it comes to a career in sales.
But that’s also amazing for the rest of us. In sales, the playing field is completely level regardless of your athletic ability or physical demeanor.
All it takes is effort, practice, and a willingness to compete. My Dad would tell me “There’s always room at the top for those willing to put in the work”.
Not all athletes are great at selling. And not all sellers excel at sports. But the lessons learned by tying the two together are undeniable.
In this week’s edition of Stretch Weekly, we look at the world of sports and how it applies to us in leading our own sales team
The Secret to Building Strong Sales Teams via David Weiner
Julie Dunn details 5 Sports Lessons Winning Sales Teams Embrace
Why Athletes Win In Sales by Adam Mendler
Plus - a full roster of snippets to help you lead and coach your team to more wins.
THANKS for reading!!
-Grant
And always, if you find this newsletter valuable- consider sharing it with someone who might as well 👊.
STRETCH SHARES
The Secret to Building Strong Sales Teams
The secret to building a strong sales team? David Weiner shares an excellent article urging us to look at pro sports teams and recruit as they do.
The recipe is simple. Never sacrifice on the quality of your people. As a sales leader, think about finding general athletes who are experts in their craft and who are adaptable to different sports. Give them all the tools they need to succeed in your org. Put those pieces together and victory is inevitable.
Recruiting starts with identifying top talent. Once your team is assembled focus on these 4 things:
Provide clarity because clarity leads to focus
Hire a diverse group and promote communication
Stretch your team
Celebrate success
5 Sports Lessons that Winning Sales Teams Embrace
I enjoyed this write up by Julie Dunn with LevelEleven on 5 sports lessons winning sales teams embrace. Winnings sports and sales teams have these things in common:
Learning to win involves failure. Learn from losses as well as the wins. Give your team the support they need to get back up and sell after getting knocked down
Attention to detail makes all the difference. The "little things" play a crucial role in the final outcome. Turn CRM management, daily activity goals, and more into larger success for the team.
A team is only a strong as its weakest link. Every player needs to execute their role and contribute to the success of the team. Promote competition to keep team members focused on a common goal.
Even after successes, always be improving. MJ, Kobe, and Lebron are famous for their relentless work ethic and focus AFTER winning championships and individual awards. Turning a great quarter into an even better year is the ultimate goal and a constant drive to improve is what makes it happen.
Sales is competition. If your team doesn’t maintain its competitive edge day in and day out, you can bet your competitors are. Come to work ready to win and you’ll find that your competitive edge is a great asset.
Why Athletes Win In Sales
Adam Mendler, CEO of The Veloz Group and creator/host of the Thirty Minute Mentors podcast, authored an insightful piece on why athletes win in sales.
He talked with numerous current and former professional athletes, Olympians, and sports executives and came to realize just how many of the characteristics vital to sports success are also integral to winning in the field of sales. Namely:
Hard Work, Dedication, Focus
Love of competition
Self-Motivation And Goal-Orientation
Ability To Overcome Failure
Strong Interpersonal Skills
Not only are top athletes and salespeople well-equipped to stand out in deeply competitive environments, but they intrinsically enjoy competition. The best and highest-performing people in sales viscerally embrace competition and cherish hard-earned victories.
STRETCH VP POSTS 👇
STRETCH SNIPPETS
🏀 Joe Pompliano (Check out his newsletter - Huddle Up), details what it took to land the original Nike and Michael Jordan contract. In a later thread - shined a light on what it took to save and even expand the existing Jordan relationship to what is now a Multi-Billion dollar Jordan/Nike deal.
🐍 Andy Paul outlines what we can learn as sellers from Kobe's Curiosity.
🏈 How do you position yourself in a competitive deal? Somebody recorded Nick Saban’s zoom recruiting pitch and it’s INCREDIBLE.
🤝 Four Things Successful Sales Teams Have in Common with Top Sports Teams via Tim Pickard.
🏆 Be Like Mike: What Founders Can Learn from The Last Dance | by David Sacks
⚽️ Managing a Sales Team is like Coaching a Sports Team: An Interview with Tony Balistrieri
🤬 Startups/sales teams compare themselves to championship sports teams. Most aren't even close. says Sahil Mansuri - You need an aggressor. That hustle, that scrappiness, that "$%#! it" attitude.
🐧 David Novak hosts one of the NFL greats - Larry Fitzgerald as he details his off-the-field successes and how his success in football helped prepare him to accel in business. [PODCAST]
🧠 Mindset
AWESOME article on the power of Optimism and how we can train our minds to be more optimistic.
“Optimists are able to succeed because they look for opportunities, not problems. And even when they see problems, they’re able to identify solutions.”
Thanks for reading!
My hope is if you find this valuable, consider sharing it with friends (or signing up if you haven’t already).
— Grant 👋
About stretch vp: confessions, learnings, and insights from sales leaders in SaaS
Compiled and aggregated from a network of sales leaders in SaaS, Stretch VP showcases learnings, insights, and experiences as well as best practices to overcome common hurdles, obstacles, and setbacks in your quest for excellence as a sales leader in SaaS.
Are you a VP, Director, thought leader, or content producer in the SaaS space? We’d love to have you contribute. Contact Me HERE.
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