The Sales Lessons of College Football This article is not intended to reflect negatively on anyone's alma mater. However, the season has already had more twists than a Congressional campaign finance audit (except the penalties actually get levied in college football), and that means we get the opportunity to learn from someone else's mistakes.

Talent Wins! Talent Wins! Talent Wins! Hire the best and it is amazing how often things turn out for the best. Why? Because talented people know how to get their jobs done, even when they are faced with injuries, formidable opponents, or bad luck.
This thought brought to you courtesy of Southern Cal.

We are a small company, but we will never take you or our work for granted. As a smaller player, you cannot go head-to-head with the big boys and let up for one second. You have to out think, execute, and work them on every play to stand a chance. Even then, the outcome is likely to be close. However, if you have paid attention to the details and left every ounce of sweat out on the field, you will occasionally pull off that win that becomes a hallmark of your entire company.
This thought brought to you courtesy of Appalachian State University and their game-winning blocked field goal against the winningest program in college football history - the then-CFN #6 ranked University of Michigan Wolverines.

Although we are big, do not sell our creativity short. Customers want proven solutions with predictable outcomes, but they also want to see some new wrinkles that will help them get ahead of the problems that are new or around the corner. Bringing some creativity to the table demonstrates to prospects that you understand how their business is changing and that you offer value they are not likely to get elsewhere.
This thought brought to you courtesy of LSU and the fake field goal over-the-shoulder flip touchdown against South Carolina.

"A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - and poverty will come on you like a bandit..." Winning programs (companies) don't materialize over night, but they can fall apart in the blink of an eye. Lose too often and see what happens - star performers lose their tenacity, potential recruits start to see better opportunities elsewhere, prospects and referenceable customers begin to wonder if there is a problem they should be paying more attention to. Work hard every day, otherwise you will wake up and find success is more of a memory.
This thought brought to you courtesy of Proverbs 6:10, 11 and an 0-5 Notre Dame team that still has to play UCLA, Boston College, USC, and Duke (who happens to be 1-4).

One good orchestrator, a solid supporting cast, and a plan that plays to their strengths = SUCCESS You cannot expect your quarterback to score every touchdown by themselves. Football doesn't work that way and neither does sales. The Quarterback has to learn how to utilize the resources at their disposal according to the plan of attack set by the team's coaches. They can guide the team to a score, but if their teammates fail in their assignments or the plan stinks, all the talent becomes unrealized potential. Great companies put the right resources in the hands of their sales people and don't quibble about it (i.e., they don't dock commission if an executive has to help out on a deal.)
This thought brought to you courtesy of Colt Brennan of the University of Hawaii who threw for 416 yards and six touchdowns in the first HALF against Northern Colorado - AND, Andre Woodson of the University of Kentucky, who has 16 TD's on the year and only 1 interception. By the way both teams are 5-0.

From the Sales Clinic: Picture this scenario - Your doctor a few years ago told you that you had high cholesterol, and set you up with medication to control the problem. Your company gets a new health insurance plan which no longer has that doctor on the list. You've noticed that you are not feeling so great lately and the cholesterol medication is making your stomach upset. Clearly the problem is not going away on its own, so you start to look around for a new doctor. You call Doctor A and begin to tell him you have high cholesterol. He immediately jumps in and gives you all the details about how proficiently he handles high cholesterol. He then transfers you to a nurse who schedules an appointment. At the appointment, Doctor A goes back over his credentials smiling all the time. He then leaves and the nurse comes in to ask you a few questions. She then says they'd like to do some tests.

Over the next few days, you think about those tests and are not very fired up about it. You call Doctor A back to discuss your concerns. He comes to the phone and starts back in on how strong he is at handling cholesterol issues and that he will see you on Tuesday. You still fee a little uneasy and decide to call Doctor B to explore some options.

Doctor B asks you about your cholesterol levels, the tests you took before, how you are feeling today, what decision process you went through when deciding on your current course of treatment, if there are any other ailments you are experiencing. He then gives you a list of the possible problems and the courses of treatment associated with each, including the risks and costs. Doctor B then recommends you come in for the same tests that Doctor A had recommended.

QUESTION: Which doctor are you going to? If you are like most buyers, you go to Doctor B for one simple reason - he stayed focused on your issues not his product, and demonstrated his expertise in the course of understanding your problem. Remember this when you get tempted to take a conversation back to your capabilities instead of staying focused on the prospect's issues.

Know the Target: You all know the primary qualifying questions: Need, Urgency (compelling event), Competition, Ultimate Decision Maker, Decision Process, and... and... MONEY! We frequently term it "budget" - which is a whole other discussion around budgeted projects indicating your competition helped identify the need before you did, but we'll address that another time. For now, the term is useful because we are at that time of year - corporate budgeting. Many of your prospects, those with calendar fiscal years, are in the midst of the budgeting process and scrambling to figure out how to deliver more with less than more. If you can help, you can open HUGE doors to deals. Recommendation: Sit down with your CFO or Finance Manager and ask about any creative ways you can structure deals to help customers move money around in their budgets to allow them to meet their objectives. Delayed payments, cash for assets, freebie services, etc. Changing how the money moves can help your customer and help you separate yourself from the pack...

Separating Yourself from the Pack: Energy - ever talk to someone who has it? They leave you feeling like you have had your own batteries recharged. There is no doubt we feed off of each other. Talk to someone who doesn't have it? A five minute conversation with them sucks the life out of you. Here's something to think about: Do you put nasty, crud-laden fuel in your car? Then why do you put it in your body? The basics are simple. Fat adds weight and clogs your arteries making your heart work harder just to move your blood. Sugar turns to fat. White flour has little if any food value - empty calories that keep you from burning fat. Dyes, additives, and preservatives overload cells taking up room that is supposed to be used to transport oxygen to your heart, brain, and muscles. It is not hard to see why people get tired and lack ENERGY! If you want a really entertaining look at some of this, rent the movie Super-Size Me. Don't worry, I haven't gone off the deep end - 8oz filet please!

"HELPING YOU LEAD THE PACK"
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