Never neglect the basics....

I was taught a sales lesson in the most unlikely of places, while attending a major league baseball game while out of town. When I used to travel a lot on business, I often will kill time and get out of the hotel by taking in an MLB or even minor league game. Hot dogs, beer, and popcorn and of course Cracker Jack stir up so many memories for me, mostly from my youth playing America’s past time in New York.

It had been a dismal year for this particular team, and these were the dog days of the season, and this team was “out of it” at the All Star break. However, while attending that game I witnessed something truly remarkable. Down 5 to 0 going into the bottom of the ninth inning, most everyone had left the game early to beat the traffic, although I am not sure how much traffic a crowd of only 15,000 or so can produce. I am one of those people who will rarely leave a sporting event early, and I am certainly glad I did not on this particular night.

The leadoff batter singled to right field. The second batter singled to center field. Now there were runners on first and third with no one out. The next batter singled into right field, scoring one. That base runner stole second base, and the next batter singled into left field, scoring two. This most unlikely comeback occurred with what seemed like less than a couple of thousand loyal fans in attendance. You guessed it; the home team heroes won the game 6 to 5, scoring six runs on 7 consecutive hits to lead off the ninth inning, no one produced an out.

In the days following this game, I was thinking about how it must have felt for the players to mount that type of incredible comeback in that situation. What are the odds? Over the course of the next several weeks, as I told this story to friends, family, co-workers and customers, I began to consider the correlation between what I had witnessed on the field and how we would be better served to approach our sales efforts in a similar manner.

Too often, we are focused on hitting a home run in sales, swinging for the fences and not wanting to settle for less. While being aggressive is a necessary trait for any successful sales person, it is often the smaller wins that can lead to a championship “season” and a sustained, successful career. In sales, you can win with singles. It didn’t take someone on the team to hit the grand slam, they won with a series of singles. Basic baseball, basic sales.

If you are in direct B2B sales, as you go out into the field these next few weeks, I want each of you to try something. Choose a single product or service that you sell or provide, a “widget” if you will. Make it a point to show it to and discuss it with every existing and potential customer you call on. We all tend to favor certain segments or particular items in our respective product and service portfolios. Choose one that excites you, one that you really believe in and show it to everyone. Next month, choose another, then another, etc.  Make this a permanent habit and two things will happen. First, your sales numbers will increase. Second, your customers will rely on you to share valuable information with them, you will become more of a reliable and valued resource on new products or services you sell. Customers who believe you can provide real solutions for them will support you more. Remember, in sales we are in the business of changing habits and solving problems.

Nothing I have written here is rocket science; it is just simple back to basics thinking, just like winning the game a single at a time.

Good Selling!