Success in Athletics Vs. Success in Sales. Do They Go Hand & Hand?

The President of The Vause Group Inc, Joshua Vause,  played baseball his entire life all the way into College.   As a successful college athlete, he has found that a lot of the same things that made him successful on the baseball diamond, have made him successful with his career in Sales.   Below is an article written by Jeffrey Gitomer, the Author of The Little Red Book of Selling.     

Take me out to the ball game. Take me out to the sale!

Here are the lessons in baseball you can apply to your sales game and your business game once you understand their importance and their impact:

• The baseball team is made up of individual players who know how to play together. Their individual skills contribute to the team’s success. They cannot win alone. The best team wins.
• Every great ball player was once a beginner. They started at a young age because they loved to play. They were encouraged by their parents and coaches.
• Every pro ballplayer starts in the minor leagues. In baseball, like sales, there are no shortcuts. One step at a time. Before they got to the minors, it’s probable they had already been playing some form of organized ball for 15 years.
• Ballplayers are coach-able. Being coached and listening to coaches are key factors in a ballplayer’s success. Most great coaches were once players.
• Ballplayers warm up and practice before every game. They get ready. Even if they’ve been playing for years, they practice before EVERY game.
• Ballplayers learn the fundamentals of the game until they’re automatic. Then they practice them every day. Fundamentals like: Keep your eye on the ball. Know the rules. Know the strategies. Execute the plays. They understand that defense is just as important as offense.
• All ballplayers, even great ballplayers, get into a slump. Coaching, watching films, and practice gets them out of the slump.
• All ballplayers make errors. Sometimes an error can cost you the game. Take errors seriously, NOT personally. Learn from them and don’t repeat them. The secret to error free: More practice.
• Ballplayers love the game. They love what they do, and they play to win.

 HARSH REALITIES OF SALES AND BASEBALL:
• Very few players make it to the major leagues.
• Very few major league players can lead the league.
• Very few players can hit a home run, or even get a hit in the clutch.
• Small errors in judgment can cost you your career.
• All cheaters eventually get caught.
• There is no prize and no champagne for second place.
• Fans have become disenchanted because players have less of a sense of loyalty to them. Sad. But there’s still a lesson: To get loyalty, you must GIVE loyalty.

There are the unspoken rules of the game – both in baseball and sales. You gotta believe in your team and teammates. You gotta believe your team will win. You gotta believe in your coach, your leader.

And as one of the title songs from the epic Broadway musical Damn Yankees says, “You’ve gotta have heart.”

NOTE WELL: Millions have played the game. Maybe even you. Thousands have played in the major leagues. But there are only 289 players in the Hall of Fame. It’s all about their ability, their devotion, their dedication, and their practice. How’s yours?

Who are you playing for?
Are you a winning player?
How much do you practice every day?
How much of your heart is in the game?
Who are you giving your loyalty to?

--Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Little Red Book of Selling and eight other business books on sales, customer loyalty, and personal development. President of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts Internet training programs on sales, customer loyalty, and personal development at www.trainone.com. Jeffrey conducts more than 100 personalized, customized seminars and keynotes a year. To find out more, visit www.gitomer.com. Jeffrey can be reached at 704.333.1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com