Birdy Putt: Golf, Sales & Social Selling; Precision Beats Hope Every Time

Yesterday, I had one of those rounds of golf that sticks with you.

I was out on the course with my good friend Rich Nolan—an equally ambitious business builder. The conditions were far from perfect: cold, challenging, and the type of round where nothing comes easy.

And yet, I walked away with four PARs, one Birdie, and a fresh reminder of why I love the game.

Then, I got the update. My handicap dropped from 25 to 23.7.

Honestly? It felt a little unfair at first. I’ve been playing a mix of courses lately—two particularly difficult ones—and this was only my second time playing this course. I could have argued that the conditions should have factored in.

But then it hit me: this is exactly how growth works.

You push yourself on tougher terrain. You play in unfamiliar conditions. You step outside what’s comfortable. And then, you level up.

And the more I thought about it, the more I realised—this is exactly what sales teams get wrong.

Hope is Not a Strategy (In Golf or Sales)

I’ve seen it too many times.

Someone steps up to the tee and just smashes the ball as hard as they can, hoping for the best. No thought about the wind, the slope, or the hazards ahead. Just raw effort.

The problem? Effort without direction rarely leads to results.

And yet, this is how so many sales teams operate.

• Firing off mass emails, hoping for a reply.
• Hammering cold calls, praying someone picks up.
• Copy-pasting LinkedIn messages, waiting for a bite.

All effort, no strategy. Blindly swinging and hoping for the best.

But here’s the hard truth—hope isn’t a strategy. Not in golf. Not in sales.

Why Sales Teams Struggle to Win

For years, I’ve worked with sales teams facing the same challenges:

• Reps struggling to book meetings.
• Pipeline as unpredictable as the British weather.
• Buyers ghosting, ignoring, and tuning out.
• Sales and marketing completely out of sync.

The old tactics weren’t working anymore. Buyers had changed, but sales teams? They were still swinging wildly, hoping something landed.

And just like in golf, if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting the same results.

The Game-Changer: Social Selling & The Conversation Operating System (COS)

A while back, I worked with a sales team that was stuck in this exact cycle. They were grinding. They were putting in the work. But the results weren’t there.

So, we changed the game.

Instead of chasing, they built credibility. Instead of pitching, they created demand. Instead of guessing, they followed a repeatable system to start meaningful conversations.

We leveraged Social Selling and the Conversation Operating System (COS) to: ? Engage buyers earlier—before they even realised they needed help. ? Make salespeople visible, trusted, and top of mind. ? Double their meetings and see conversion rates skyrocket.

It worked.

Here's why: buyers don’t want to be sold to. They want to buy from people they trust.

And trust isn’t built through cold outreach or spammy sales tactics.

It’s built through credibility, visibility, and consistency.

What Golf Taught Me About Growth (and Sales Success)

So back to my round.

I could have played it safe. Chosen an easier course. Blamed the conditions. But instead, I leaned in, embraced the challenge, and walked away a better player.

The same applies to sales.

If you’re still stuck in outdated, transactional outreach, you’re playing the wrong game.

The best sales teams don’t chase. They attract. The best salespeople don’t pitch. They earn conversations. The best closers don’t rely on hope. They have a system.

So the question is—are you still swinging and hoping?

Or are you ready to step up, play smart, and start winning on purpose?

If you’re ready to step outside your comfort zone and truly grow, let’s talk.

Drop a comment or DM me—I’d love to chat.

#Sales #SocialSelling #ModernSelling #GolfAndSales #ConversationOS