Who's your sales caddie?

Candidly, I am not much of a sports guy. But the one thing I appreciate about sports is the fact that training and preparation separate the good from the great. The best athletes in the world train hard and never go into competition unprepared. 

No person (man or woman) is an island. We all need coaching and help from others to be successful. We all need to grow and learn every single day. I love to use the professional golfer analogy with my sales team to help them understand this idea.

At the time of this post, Brooks Koepka is the #1 golfer in the world. How does Brooks stay #1 you ask? Let’s take a look.

Brooks has a full time staff working with him (not including his Dad, brother, and girlfriend). Brooks staff:

• Manager
• Coach
• Swing Coach
• Trainer

Let’s be clear. Brooks is super talented. You don’t get to be #1 in the world without having talent. But Brooks also has some of the best people in the world working with him. They help him identify where he needs to go next. They help him map out courses and strategies to play. They look at his weaknesses and the little things that may not be up to par and then they suggest improvements. They also help Brooks evaluate his equipment and make sure that he has not just the latest and greatest, but what works well for him (just take a look at what is in his bag - it’s diverse).

Each and every time Brooks goes out to compete he has a caddie that walks every hole of every course with him. His caddie helps him evaluate the weather and terrain, talks through how to make certain shots, and will step in occasionally and suggest when Brooks might want to look at a situation from a completely different perspective. Who is Brooks’ caddie? Rickie Elliott, a decorated junior tour player who knows how to play the game.

Oh, and Brooks practices daily, even when the pro tour is in full swing.

When I look at the above in the context of sales, I wonder why more sales people don’t train and prepare like a pro golfer. I believe the simple answer is that most of us have never thought about it in that context. The more complex answer is that many think they know best and simply don’t believe they need any help. Regardless of where a person lands in that spectrum, we all need coaching. We can all use a “swing coach” to help us improve on the basics. And I, for one, could benefit greatly from a “short game coach” to help me evaluate deals in the final stages.

So how should sales train and prep like the pros? 

Make sure you prep for each and every meeting and demonstration. Yes. Every, single, one. Do an actual walk thru of the agenda, who is speaking, what the roles are and what, if anything, you will be showing and/or demonstrating. And always go into a meeting knowing what you want to get out of the time you are spending with your prospect. What's the best case outcome? Worst case? Most likely outcome?

If you are doing a demonstration, always make sure that everyone on the team knows the click path and what happens when you click a button. Never do something during a demo (or ask someone to do something) unless you are 100% sure you know what will happen!

Record your meetings and demos with a tool such as Gong.io (these guys are awesome!) and then go back and watch them. Set a time each Friday afternoon where you pick a good and a bad demo or meeting to review. Sit down with the entire sales team (in person or virtually), play the tape, provide feedback, and work as a team to improve your game. Yes, the first few times will make you cringe. But the benefit your team will receive is worth it.

Last but not least, seek out experts and others that can help you grow your sales game. Find a mentor. Hire a coach! Get experienced, third party feedback on what you are doing and how you can improve. The most important thing is to find a way to get just a little bit better each and every day.

And if you have the option, identify someone that can be your “sales caddy” and help you make the best shot you can, each and every time you step on the course!