The Power of Practice

No matter your profession, hobby, sport, or endeavor, we’ve all heard of the benefits of practice and preparation. You should study for the exam, conduct the experiments, give your speech to a friend first, run the drills, and lay the groundwork before the time comes.

We interviewed sales training expert Jim Pancero a few months ago on this topic, and he had some surprising insights on how often proper practice is neglected in sales.

?“One day, the space shuttle was going to be on TV, and they were going to show the entire day of this spacewalk they were doing. At one point, this astronaut is floating in space, tethered to the space shuttle. He is floating on his own, looking down at the earth. And Mission Control said to the astronaut, “So how's it feel to finally be there?” And his comment blew me away. He said, ‘Just like practice.’

?He had done this so many times in practice, replicating the situation. When he was actually in space, it wasn't a big deal because he was relying on the muscle memory he'd learned with all this practice.

?Selling is the same way. How much practice and role-playing do you do with a salesperson? If you aren't in it already, we're getting to the busy season soon. Amazingly, many companies don't do any preparation work for their salespeople to prepare them for this big season.

?The assumption is that experience equals training. ‘So you've been selling for us for five years; you don't need training or coaching. Just get out and do it.' People are ineffective without adequate practice. Look at trade shows. The average trade show worker spends more time talking to their company about when they're supposed to be in the booth than what to say to prospects.”

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I’m also reminded of the late, great basketball coach John Wooden of UCLA fame and his attitude towards practice, preparation, and investing in your people. While his realm may have been more physical than sales, his mindset proved invaluable in building a culture of success for the entire program. The quote “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail” is attributed to Wooden, and it rings true here. Intentional, exhaustive practice was a cornerstone of Wooden’s basketball teams, and it led to championships and all-time great players.

?How can you invest in your people? How can you give them every advantage before they meet with a prospect? Enable them to achieve, and they may surprise you with the results.