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Becoming a Sales Winner: Advice from Bill Walsh
August 23, 2007
By Steve W. Martin
Bill Walsh, legendary former football coach of the San Francisco 49ers recently passed away. I met him eight years ago at the airport in San Jose, California. He was sitting all alone and no one seemed to notice who he was. I had to look at him several times to reassure myself it was really Bill Walsh.
At the time, I was the vice president of sales working for a Silicon Valley software company. A year earlier, I had read his 550-page book, Finding the Winning Edge. Now, I'm the type of person who will bother a stranger but it took some courage on my part to approach him. He seemed somewhat surprised when I introduced myself and told him that I really enjoyed his book. Then he asked what I did for a living and why I liked it. I told him I was in sales and what made the book so interesting was how he drew upon history and the military strategy of generals—such as George Patton and Erwin Rommel—and then applied it to football.
While Finding the Winning Edge is an exhaustive description of his football philosophy intended for other football coaches, I think many of the concepts are very relevant to salespeople today. In remembrance, I would like to share seven of the book's most important principles about what it takes to become a winner.
1. Put things into historical perspective.
The more you know about and understand your past, the better your insights regarding the present and future. Many people erroneously think they have only one chance to succeed in their life's work, and if they miss that chance, they are doomed to failure. If you learn from past mistakes, you will be better able to take full advantage of the next opportunity when it presents itself.
2. Do what comes naturally. Be yourself.
Throughout your career, you will have the opportunity to work and observe many others. While it is important that you learn whatever you can from each one, you must recognize that you can't be any one of them.
3. Prepare to win.
Winning does not mean being the victor in every game. It's not about winning every game at any cost. We have to remind ourselves that it is a season and a series of seasons. If you are continually developing your skills and refining your approach, then winning will be the final result.
4. Design a winning game plan.
The goal of winning is to remove from a tough situation the panic element of "What the hell are we going to do now?" When you're under pressure the mind can play tricks on you. Being able to follow a well-rehearsed plan is far better than depending on heroics, which work far better in fiction than real life.
5. Make the "right" decision.
The idea of taking a chance based on gut feeling and educated guess-work seems less and less credible. Admittedly, gut feelings can be overrated, but so can substituting endless analysis of data for the instinct born of experience. Those who are able to sift quickly through vast amounts of data will be winners, while those who keep wanting more information for its own sake will end up paralyzed.
6. Overcome mental barriers.
Two of the most important factors affecting performance are the capacity to maintain concentration on the task at hand and the ability to deal effectively with stress. Realize that stress can lead to fear, which in turn can affect your attitude and concentration. The ability to accurately and effectively weigh the thoughts that cross your mind during the ebb and flow of competition is the essence of concentration.
7. Stay the course.
One of the greatest challenges facing a head coach is being able to react appropriately to changing circumstances. In other words, regardless of the situation, you must be able to make a well-considered decision. The keys to making the right decision under less-than-desirable circumstances are confidence, strong will and preparation. You must believe in yourself and your program. You must have intestinal fortitude and commitment to remain to your principles. And, you must be prepared to deal with the diverse array of challenging and adversarial experiences to which you are exposed.
Steve W. Martin is the author of Heavy Hitter Sales Wisdom: Proven Sales Warfare Strategies, Secrets of Persuasion, and Common-Sense Tips for Success. He is also the author of Heavy Hitter Selling: How Successful Salespeople Use Language and Intuition to Persuade Customers to Buy. Visit www.heavyhitterwisdom.com for more information.
Sales & Marketing Management Magazine
This article is brought to you by Sales & Marketing Management, the leading authority for executives in the sales and marketing field.
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