This week the Toyko Summer Olympics began! Team sports like basketball, soccer, and individuals giving their all in Track and Field and Swimming. After training for over four years and more, each athlete has one moment to compete for a chance to stand on the podium that declares they are the best! We get to witness the best athletes in the world competing for the gold medal.
I was thinking about all the processes these athletes undertake in their sports to reach the Olympic level. To make the Olympic team is hard, and only a few get to that level. The percentages vary by sport. For example, to compete in Swimming, it is .0013% to compete.
“There are about 10,000 athletes in the Summer Olympics. With the world population at about 7 billion, the chances of making it that far are about 1 in 562,400,” says Bill Mallon, past president and co-founder of the International Society of Olympic Historians.
What skills are needed to be an Olympic-level athlete?
A great advantage would be if you had the physical abilities to excel in a sport, and speed, strength, endurance, and coordination are vital. One of the most significant advantages to success is determination.
So I started thinking about what Traits Olympic athletes have with the top 1% of sales performers.
Determination. You must have a never-give-up attitude. Despite all of the setbacks athletes face, they keep coming back better than ever. The same is true for top sales performers. They turn a setback into a comeback. They take the opportunity to learn from their shortfalls, learn from the experience, and prevent it from happening again.
Stay consistent. The top performer stays focused and consistent. They understand that every day may not be award-winning. But what they do realize is the staying the course and remaining consistent will have a long-term payoff.
Prioritize your training. Top sales performers prioritize their training. They invest in themselves by reading sales books, blogs, online courses, and listening to podcasts. They attend conferences and have a desire to find a better way of doing business.
Be Goal-oriented. The goal that Olympic athletes are working towards is a Gold Medal. In sales, we are working towards a plan as well. It may be a financial goal or a goal of contribution. Understanding what must get done each day – the daily goals are necessary to achieve that overall goal. For sales leaders, this may be as small as being proactive with just a few calls a day, but it pays off big time in the long run. Define your long and short-term goals and find the discipline to track your progress.
As I shared earlier, 1 in 562,000 can compete in the Olympics. What is the top 1% in sales doing to compete at a higher level?
The bottom 99 percent and the top one percent of salespeople have something in common: they are both creatures of habit. The bottom 99 percent talk about their products or services to clients. They sell features, benefits and ask for the order. Yes, these sellers have conviction, energy, or enthusiasm.
But the top one percent of salespeople train differently than the 99%. See, they focus on one critical skill that sets them apart from others. They consistently repeat this behavior over and over because they know it is their secret to sales success?
The top one percent of salespeople ask the right questions.
The best sales talents don’t pitch their products and services, and they ask questions. They ask intelligent, strategic questions immediately on a first call or meeting. The top 1% create a system of questions they need to ask to help their clients.
This simple three-word ( ask better questions) strategy is exceptionally effective. See, the more questions the salesperson asks, and the more information the prospect or client share, the better you can solve their business issues.
The most critical question the top 1% of salespeople start with qualifying questions to determine if the prospect they are speaking with is even worth their time. They ask questions about their pain points, decision-making process, timeline, and budget. Within minutes, they know if they are qualified prospects and have the resources and ability to work with them or move on to the next.
The Top 1% focus on pain points, asking how the current situation impacts their business and future growth. They actively listen and repeat what they heard back as a confirmation that to the client.
The Top 1% create a roadmap of success with their clients. They understand the KPI’s and how the client will measure success. This way, they can make the necessary adjustments to ensure they exceeded their clients’ expectations.
Here is my challenge for you. Challenge yourself and your team to fine-tune your approach to asking better questions. The next time you’re on the first call with a prospect, don’t talk about your product or service. Be prepared and ask the better questions instead, and map out your strategy for the next meeting. Stay consistent and determined and perform like the top one percent.
No matter what role you play at your company, keeping making progress, stay determined, ask better questions and strive to be the 1% in your field. And Go, Team USA!
Simplify Your Sales meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She wrote the book “Three Word Meetings.” Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired. She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience.
Learn more about how to Simply Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .