I’d like to blame my poor visual perception for my subpar golf game, but the real culprit is my lack of consistency in practice. I’m inconsistent. As a result, my performance on the golf course is erratic, with scores ranging anywhere from 92 to 102.
I can shoot a 44 on the front nine and a 54 on the back. Don’t get me wrong—being virtually blind in one eye doesn’t help with depth perception. It’s a significant disadvantage when trying to gauge the distance from my ball to the pin. Sure, I have a distance-measuring app on my phone, but it doesn’t seem to help much. On the bright side, my depth perception struggles make for good laughs—just ask my daughter Alex about me trying to light candles on a birthday cake.
Let’s explore how these two factors—perception and consistency—impact sales performance.
Perception
Over the last 30 years, I’ve observed that salespeople tend to categorize all sales calls based on their products or services:
- Lenders often start sales calls by discussing whether the client needs a loan or how they can access capital.
- Employee benefits consultants focus on improving coverage and pricing.
- Property and casualty agents zero in on risk vulnerabilities, assessments, and price.
- Investment advisors prioritize discussions about maximizing returns, minimizing taxes, or reducing financial risk.
These approaches stem from our perception of what the client wants or needs. This perception typically arises from two factors:
- Years of experience in the business.
- The prospect's initial words during the setup of the meeting.
However, this perception can be flawed for two reasons:
- Years of experience don’t reflect the current reality.
Golf provides a great analogy. Every round is different—weather, fairway conditions, green rolls, and pin placements constantly change. Similarly, sales situations are dynamic, and relying solely on past experiences can lead to missteps. - What the prospect tells you initially is rarely the whole truth.
It’s not that they’re lying, but they often describe symptoms rather than the root problem. Or they may present a problem that’s a byproduct of a larger issue.
To overcome these limitations, we must broaden our thinking and question our initial perceptions. By doing so, we can better identify the actual problems we need to solve.
Consistency
Top-performing salespeople demonstrate the importance of consistency. Research shows that 80% of the top 25% of salespeople follow a consistent sales process. What does this entail?
- Milestone-centric processes: Their approach is systematic, ensuring each step leads to a decision. This eliminates indecision and delays.
- Documentation: They record what happens at each step to track progress and identify gaps.
- Data analysis: They evaluate data to pinpoint choke points that hinder faster, higher-margin sales.
- Modeling success: They use data to replicate success consistently.
This mirrors the habits of a good golfer. Great golfers approach each shot systematically: they position their hands consistently, align correctly for putts, and maintain focus. Their methodical approach leads to lower scores and better performance compared to inconsistent players like me.
Commitment Matters
I’d love to improve my golf game, but I know it takes a deeper commitment than what I’m currently giving. Similarly, if you’re looking to improve your approach to selling—selling more, faster, and at better margins—it might be worth reflecting on how your level of commitment aligns with your goals.
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