Sales Lessons from Football – Decide On a Process and Consistently Execute Against It

Success demands singleness of purpose.Vince Lombardi
The secret to winning is constant, consistent management. Tom Landry
It’s not the will to win that matters – everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters. Bear Bryant

Different football coaches from different eras who coached with different styles. While they had varied game plans and philosophies of football, they all had unfailing belief in the power of preparation. What works for football also works for sales.

Coach Lombardi’s and Bryant’s teams were effective in overpowering their opponents. Coach Landry’s teams would win through deception and finesse. Different styles and different strategies were successful. The keys to success were effective preparation to execute the chosen strategy.

Consistent sales success requires a framework that can be relied on to give people a basis for their sales preparation. Force defines this framework as the Sales Process or “How you sell.” If a sales team understands their Value Proposition, who they are selling to and who they are competing against; they can effectively prepare to win.

Strive to emulate the great winning football teams; create a sales process that is simple, understandable and consistent. An effective sales process will make coaching your sales team easier and more effective. Improved sales results will follow.