5 Powerful Steps to Build Momentum in Business Development

I love sales and I love professional sports. I have so much respect for anyone who invests the time, energy, and resources to get really good at sales. I mean, think about it, you know a lot of good salespeople, professionals who are fine at what they do, but how many great salespeople do you know? Those that really transform the industry? Not many, right?

And I have so much respect for anyone who spends the time, energy and resources to reach the top of their chosen sport. Again, you know a lot of good athletes, but how many great athletes are there? Again, not many?

There is so much we can learn from both – those who reach the pinnacle of sales, and those that excel in sports.

So why is that? Why do so few – salespeople, athletes, professionals – reach the top? Well, I think there are a lot of forces at play – mindset, talent, commitment, desire, work ethic – all play a part in how far you go in your chosen field.

But one area I think that is often overlooked and truly separates the occasional winner from the true champion is momentum. The willingness to dig deeper, go harder, and continually build on small successes to propel you not only to the goal but far past it.

In June, I was obsessed with watching the French Open Tennis Championship, also known as Roland-Garros. It was an exciting lineup of both women’s singles and men’s singles, and while I loved watching the women play their matches, the women’s line-up paled in comparison to the men’s.

The men’s matches were so much more fierce and competitive, and the contenders were so well-matched it was hard to determine who was going to pull out the win. But every time, in every single match, the winner came down to one thing, one singular focus that separated the winner from the champion. The one thing was who could leverage their momentum. In other words, which professional, well-trained, highly talented athlete, could use the small wins in the set to build energy, motivation, and desire to pull out the final win.

It happened over and over again in match after match. I became so obsessed with this idea of the power of momentum that I started paying attention to it and the impact it had not only in sports but in sales. And it is everywhere, every time you see a true champion in business, sports, and life, I can bet you can trace their success back to momentum.

If you want to take your game to the next level, if you want to get even better at business development, then you need to learn to leverage momentum. Use the forward movement you gain, the small wins, the progress to build the energy that creates a force that drives you further than you believed you could go.

So how do you build momentum in business development?

5 Powerful Steps To Build Momentum in Business Development

Celebrate the Win

First, stop, take a moment, and celebrate the win. Every winner at the French Open took the time to look at the crowd, smile, make a first pump, and show their excitement for the win they just had, no matter how small.

Play Your Next Move

Next, refocus, get your head back in the game and think about how to use that win to make your next move. You just had a small win, now what is your next win, what goal do you need to work towards now? True champions never settle and use a goal as not something to achieve but something to blow through.

Dissect the Win

Take the time to understand how the win happened, what did you do well, what, if any, errors did you make, and where could you improve? In watching the French Open, one of the players barely squeaked out the set, and when he came back for round two he had changed his game to put himself in a more dominant position.

Take Action

Then with all your analyzing done, with all your celebrating over, the step you need to take now is action. What is the BEST thing to do once you hit your sales goals? That is right, make a sales call. You are on a high once you win, so use that euphoria to do more of what made you successful.

Rinse & Repeat

And last but not least, rinse and repeat. Momentum builds and feeds off momentum. These five steps are a lifestyle NOT a one-time strategy.

I believe that what separates the good from the great is this strategy of momentum. If you can use your wins to propel you forward towards bigger goals and bigger opportunities, you will not only build momentum but you will turn all of this uncertainty to your competitive advantage.