Sales Lessons from the
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World Series Champions
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When I was growing up in North Andover, MA, Dad took
my sister and me to Fenway Park a few times each summer so we could watch our
favorite team play baseball. I’m a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan. So is my Dad.
He’s almost 70 years old now and has never seen the Red Sox win a World Series –
until now. |
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Most Americans agree that the rivalry between the
Red Sox and the New York Yankees is the fiercest in all of sports. Since 1918,
the Sox haven’t won a single World Series championship. During that time the
Yanks have won 26, forcing the Red Sox to consistently play second fiddle to
their rival. |
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October
19, 2004 ALCS Game 6 in the Bronx |
| (Photo from my camera-phone)
In a must-win situation the Red Sox, led by
Curt Schilling, had their backs against the wall. My long-time
friend, Ryan, and I did too - literally - as we watched from the last
row in Yankee Stadium.
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But this is a special year for Red Sox fans. Even
though the Red Sox finished the regular season in second place to the Yankees
for the fifth straight year, they still made the playoffs. After winning their
first series against Anaheim, they earned the right to play New York in the
American League Championship Series (ALCS). |
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Boston lost the first three games of a best-of-seven
series to the Yankees. The third loss was a humiliating 19-8 loss in Fenway
Park. Even the most optimistic Red Sox fan felt that defeat was inevitable.
Winning four straight games against the Yanks seemed nearly impossible. And
then… |
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Boston won Game 4: “Well at least we didn’t get
swept.” |
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Boston won Game 5: “Wow, we’re making it
interesting.” |
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Boston won Game 6: “Holy mackerel, the series is
tied!” |
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Boston won Game 7: “We did it!!! I knew we’d
win!” |
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When Boston won Game 7, they entered the history
books as the first team ever to overcome a 3-0 deficit and win a series 4-3.
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Sports fans will remember many things about this
amazing nine-day series. Salespeople, whether sports fans or not, can learn
several lessons from the Red Sox success and use them to become sales champions. |
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1. |
You can’t change history, but you can create the
future |
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Even though the Red Sox have endured countless
defeats while they watched the Yankees triumph over the years, they understand
that what happened in 1978 has no effect on how they perform today. |
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You, too, have competitors who are tough. They might
write more business in a month than you do in a year. That means nothing,
however, when you’re competing against them to win over a new customer tomorrow.
Forget the past. Focus on what you can do today and tomorrow to win more
business. |
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2. |
Determination matters |
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Winning four straight games seemed impossible after
losing Game 3. The easy thing for the Sox would have been to go through the
motions and cave in to the seemingly inevitable loss. They chose the harder
route and won. |
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In sales, you’re faced with prospects that seem
impossible to penetrate. You might be intimidated by some powerful executives
you’re trying to sell. You could offer a product or service that lacks the
pizzazz of the one offered by a competitor. When you meet obstacles like these,
remember that you don’t get paid to make sales calls. You get paid to make
sales. Don’t ever just go through the motions. Always play to win. |
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3. |
Perform to the best of your ability every day |
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In ALCS Game 6, ace pitcher Curt Schilling took the mound
for the Red Sox. An unusual procedure to stabilize a dislocated tendon had left
him with a mild limp and a few stitches in his ankle. Despite blood seeping
through his sock, Schilling performed brilliantly and earned the win in Yankee
Stadium. |
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As sales pros, factors beyond our control can cause
us to be at less than 100% some days. Maybe a crying baby deprived you of sleep.
Perhaps you’re shaking off a cold. A stressful personal issue might be seeping
into your professional life. Even if you don’t feel like selling at these times,
you do a disservice to your company and to yourself if you give anything less
than your best each day you go to work. |
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4. |
Don’t be influenced by naysayers |
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New York radio stations played ads that promoted
Yankees World Series tickets. The official website of Major League Baseball was
selling a “New York Yankees 2004 American League Champions Authentic Collection
T-Shirt.” Callers on Boston sports radio WEEI were stating that a comeback was
impossible. In the end, the Red Sox proved them all wrong. |
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People might claim there’s no way you can penetrate
a certain account. They say that your company doesn’t have what it takes to earn
the business. Coworkers may think that a certain product your company offers is
“unsellable.” When you’re tempted to become discouraged by the negativity,
remember that some of the best things that ever happened were accomplished after
others said they couldn’t be done. Don’t be one of those people who cave in to
defeat because someone else predicts your failure. Chart your own course and
make success happen. |
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5. |
Use momentum to your advantage |
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After a dramatic American League Championship Series
victory, the Red Sox entered the World Series with high confidence and
enthusiasm. They continued their winning ways by defeating the St. Louis
Cardinals in four straight games to win the World Series in commanding fashion.
For the first time in 86 years the Red Sox are champions. |
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In sales, the best time to call that tough prospect
is right after you win a great sale. While nothing may have changed for the
prospect, you possess increased confidence and enthusiasm to overcome any
potential obstacles. Don’t rest on past accomplishments. Instead use them as
building blocks to achieve more and sell more than you thought possible. |
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Be a champion |
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There’s a saying that “good things come to those who
wait.” Red Sox fans like my Dad waited long enough. In sales, there’s another
expression: “Good things come to those who initiate.” If you’ve waited long
enough for success, maybe it’s time to go out there and sell your way to a sales
championship. |
