How have Salespeople Tweaked their Process to Produce Desired Results?
Results-driven Really Just Means Process-driven
With the calendar turning to December, I have spent a lot more time reflecting. It is crazy to think about how much of our individual routines have been altered this year and how we have had to adjust personally and professionally in the face of one of the greatest challenges the business side of sports has faced. This reflection has been great for me. It has helped me identify what I am doing that is still driving me towards where I want to go but it has also made me aware of habits that have developed that I am not fond of.
As I normally do, I spent a portion of my Monday’s reading Peter King’s Football Morning in America. While reading through, I stumbled upon a quote from Drew Brees related to advice he would give to young quarterbacks. Drew said:
“So much of our league is about results, right? We’re in a results-driven business. But truly, it is about the process. If you focus on the process, the result will take care of itself. Develop your process. Focus on that process. Too many times, we get frustrated because the result didn’t match up with the process. But if you just focus on the process, eventually you get to the point where good process will consistently equal good result.”
Well said Drew- this one is going up on the wall in all of the sales offices I lead in the future. Who knew the path to success as an NFL quarterback mirrored the way to achieve your best as a salesperson?
For years, I have harped on the process of driving the results that are desired. As a salesperson, I sought out the best process to reach the goal I had in front of me. As a sales leader, I preached staying true to the sales process. Did it mean that everyone had the same way to handle each step? No. Is one way of pitching better than another? Not really ( and I have many thoughts on this that I intend to share in a later post). Does this mean that if you follow the right process every time you will make a sale every time? If only it were that easy.
Staying true to the process will give you the best chance to get the ending you desire. Drew mentions the need to develop your process and focus on it. I would add that you need to continuously evolve your process- the steps do not need to change but your approach to each one must.
For example, prospecting has been turned on its head in the last 10 years. Between LinkedIn, lead software like Zoominfo, and emerging analytics departments throughout the industry that decipher what a prospect should look like for a particular team, salespeople have to spend significantly less time prospecting than they did before. Even though leads are easier to come by, salespeople still need to understand how to prospect so they know the true value of the lead in front of them. What elements are important to understand? What is the latest industry news for that particular lead? Who is it most important to speak with? Sure, the process has changed in how we get the lead (no more driving through office parks with notepads) but the understanding of the process remains uber important.
During this time where fans will still be limited in our buildings, are salespeople reflecting on how they handle their own individual sales process? Who is making tweaks and adjustments to account for a reinvigorated fan base in 2021?
As always, we are here to help if you need it.
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Evan Gitomer is a contributor to The Strategic Sports Group newsletter.