Sales Leadership Training 

Gold Medal Top Sales & Marketing Blog 2011 Silver Medal Top Sales & Marketing Blog Post  2011 Finalist Top Sales & Marketing Thought Leader 2011 Finalist Top Sales & Marketing Thought Leader 2011

Your email:

Google

salesachievementgrader

          Baseline Selling 

Great Sites


topsalesworld
Sales Pro Central

Understanding the Sales Force

Current Articles | RSS Feed RSS Feed

Football's Pitch Count and its Connection to Sales Management

  
  
  

Dave Kurlan is a top-rated speaker, best-selling author, sales thought leader and highly regarded sales development expert.

Herm Edwards, currently of ESPN and formerly the Head Coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, was interviewed on WEEI, Boston's Sports Talk Radio station today.  He said a couple of things that were quite compelling:

  1. When asked about pro football players that get in trouble, like Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Edwards said he believes in the "12 O'Clock Rule - Nothing good can happen after 12 O'Clock so they have to know their pitch count."  That's two simple metrics that lead to winning.  Keep track of the time and the number of drinks.  Applied to sales, can you name two metrics, that happen off the field, that can prevent ineffective performance?
  2. When asked about tonight's NFL Draft, he said that 265 players will be drafted, 150 will make the opening day rosters, and about 25 of these rookies will be starters for the 32 Pro Teams.  He said that all boils down to "coach them and mold them".  How many sales managers take that approach with their new salespeople?  Not enough.  Most train their salespeople for a couple of days, throw them out in the field, set them up for failure, and don't understand why they don't perform.


whitepaper-banner2

Posted by Dave Kurlan on Thu, Apr 22, 2010 @ 08:50 AM

COMMENTS

Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen,  
 
Let me start by saying thank you for flying with our airline today. My name is Bob and I'll be your pilot today. I'm so excited this is my first flight. I want you to know I have spent many hours in the simulator and we will all be ok. How many of you would rush to get off the aircraft? Everyone, of course!  
 
Training is often viewed in the professional world by the participant as punishment or a drag. That is because most training is working on the wrong end of the problem...the symptom. Stop training for symptoms...train for cause and effect and results. However before results hit the bottom line insure accountability to implement the new information and cause growth. Personally and Professionally! 
 
Not all trappers wear fur hats. When training for everyone addresses the same issues it is impossible for the participant to get their individual needs met. Gotowww.mytraininganddevelopment.com and study our 3 Step Process to identify first, the individual’s current strengths, weaknesses and more importantly the invisible weaknesses that manifest into negative outcomes in the field. Then create a custom individualized curriculum to abolish the weaknesses and build on the strengths. Then read the testimonials and see if those are strong enough to encourage you to take action. Or e-mail me at rocky@mytraininganddevelopment.com and ask me your toughest questions.  
 
Good Selling,  
 
Rocky 
 

posted on Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 10:55 AM by Rocky LaGrone


Two comments, Dave, 
1) I'm confused about who you are talking about regarding Herm Edwards. Herm was on the staff of the Indianapolis Colts' Super Bowl Winning Coach Tony Dungee, but never coached a Super Bowl Champion as Head Coach (I know 'cause I'm a NY Jets fan and he coached us for a number of years). I do believe I have Herb talk about the 12 midnight rule, though. So, I guess you are referring to Herm and not Dungee. 
 
2) I think making the connection between off the field shenanigans that sabotage results for athletes being successful definitely applies in the business world to sales professionals, sales managers and other business leaders. We all have to be disciplined in our efforts to do things off the "field" that will support our success on the "field." 
 
In my 20 years in minor league baseball I could say the same as Herm. The ballplayers that had good off the field work ethic, usually had good on the field and at the ballpark preparation habits and those were the guys who made it to the "show," regardless of their position in the draft. 
 

posted on Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 12:49 PM by http://www.howtoimproveorganizationalcommunication.com/


Maybe Herm should be ringing the closing bell more often. As Mr. Edwards has a 54-74 NFL record. 
 

posted on Friday, April 23, 2010 at 8:26 AM by Chubby Davis


Comments have been closed for this article.