Success in Sales. Parallels with Endurance Sports and, is it all about the Follow-Up?

The poster above, from the National Sales Executives Association* has been circulating around on LinkedIn in the last week or so. As many do, I often get asked what I do. I've worked in Sales or it's newer, sexier, moniker these days, Business Development (BD), for many years. The stats, above would be a good starting point to explaining what I do. I do a lot of following up!

People who don't work in Sales or BD, will not understand the above. But the facts and the stats speak for themselves. In business, "success", at it's most fundamental, is about selling something, to someone! Thus, Sales is critical to the whole process. We've all heard the over-night success stories and the small start-up that hit it out-of-the-park from the get-go and was then bought for a billion dollars! Those business stories, while fun to read and inspirational, are the exception and not the rule. For the vast majority of businesses, it's a drip-drip-drip process, practiced over time (read- years), that leads to "success"

It's at times like this, that, I feel blessed to have a back-ground as an endurance sports athlete. The parallels are obvious. You need to be committed and focused. You need to really enjoy doing what you do. You need understand that really what's important is the preparation, because there are so many variables beyond your control, that impact the outcome,  that you can't really worry about it. You just need to know, if you prepare properly, you will reach that goal. There will be set-backs, but again, the focus and the preparation will keep you on track.

Olympic Triathlon double medalist (Gold & Silver), Simon Whitfield had a phrase and motto, "The relentless pursuit of . . .". That sort of sums it up nicely. Whitfield was also big on not worrying about outcomes . . . just staying focused on preparation, because, "That's all I can control"

It's the same in Sales or BD. Some will look at the numbers above as being rather bleak and grim. Others will look at it as an opportunity! That first stat is startling - "48% of sales people never follow-up with a prospect". Following up is, really, if you read through the whole poster above, what it's all about. You are always, following up! It's like breathing and brushing your teeth for Sales People! But, there is a right way to do this . . that's a discussion for another day. Point is half of sales people, never follow up!

All those lessons of the endurance sports athlete start to apply - in short, it's a long road, to success, in sales and business, so you better enjoy the process, you need to stay focused & committed,  be relentless, you need to worry about preparation, not outcomes, and be in it for the long haul. There are few over-night sensations! Oh . . and make sure you follow up!

*A quick Google search revealed that this Association, is fictitious. However, for Business-to-Business sales, while a generalization, and perhaps anecdotal by someone, I don't think they are too far off. What do you think?

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