Superbowl Sunday

It’s almost here! The perfect excuse to swig a pint of beer, eat too much queso dip, and celebrate one of America’s favorite pastimes. While the Superbowl is a great chance to veg out on the coach for a day, it can also be an interesting time to examine the sports world from a different perspective. It’s interesting to imagine inhabiting the mind of a champion, picturing what goes through their mind the moment before walking onto the field, how they strategize on the spot, and how they maintain a laser focus on the prize.

We rarely consider how much hard work, sacrifice, and motivation goes into being one of the top football players in the country. Not only do you need exceptional physical agility, but you also need a competitive drive that soars far beyond the majority. This is where a person in sales can relate. In this vocation you are not a spectator. This is a hands-on, very competitive business that requires discipline, patience, practice, great judgement, and skill. Like football players on a field, a salesperson is constantly keeping their eye on the ball, always thinking on their feet, competing for a sale, crossing the finish line and closing in on the deal.  Touch down!

Risk is perhaps one of the more crucial aspects of being in sales. In terms of personality, it is common for a salesperson to crave the thrill of the chase, and they might get bored easily in your average profession. For instance, sitting at a desk answering phones all day might not be the best fit for someone who craves variety. Like professional football players, people in sales often prefer to be out “on the field,” in a more hands-on environment, where anything can happen. You must have a unique type of energy and enthusiasm when it comes to working with people. Being both likeable and driven is a deadly sales combination.

The formula for success cannot be measured based only on the risks involved. Afterall, you don’t make it to the Super Bowl by relying solely on one skill. You must be versatile, adaptable, resourceful. Champions often step back and examine their strengths and weaknesses in order to capitalize on the competition. As a salesperson, you must also weigh your pros and cons, examine your strengths and minimize your weaknesses as a professional. It isn’t always easy focusing on the weaknesses. But if you can strengthen weaker areas of performance so that it matches your natural skillset, you can maintain a consistency in the workforce, stay levelheaded, and increase your level of success. Winners are not only hard workers, but they are also self-aware enough to know where they are lacking. Constant development is the key to success.

Let’s face it, you don’t get far with overbearing doubt and insecurity. A bit of doubt can be a good motivator, but a healthy ego must be intact as a professional. As you know, when you meet someone who is naturally confident, that energy is infectious. You can sense someone’s security in who they are and what they are saying. The way they project their voice, how they make eye contact, the way they communicate through body language are all essential. Self-assuredness is attractive and often allows you to navigate uncharted territory or difficult situations with more ease and comfort. It’s always important to prepare for anything, and adjust reaction accordingly.

The Superbowl is the pinnacle of American sports, where you must give your all and trust in your training under the pressure of the spotlight. Now is the perfect time to watch and learn, absorb that same kind of drive and passion for what you do, and continue to go out onto the field each day as the professional that you are. Game on.