My ‘never-fail’ assistant reminded me of my need to write this blog while I was on the golf course this week. So, over the course of 18 holes a few things started to occur to me:
- My golf game needs a lot of work!
- I should invest in a golf ball manufacturing business
- Golf is a lot like selling
You don’t need to be a golfer to follow along here. Just consider some of the fundamentals required to be good at both golf and selling:
Practice. Practice. Practice.
The more you practice, the better you get. The worst place to ‘practice’ golf is on the course. The worst place to ‘practice’ selling is with a real customer. Time on the driving range is what’s needed to get better at golf. Time spent role-playing with your peers is what’s needed to get better at selling too.
The Right Approach Is Essential
How you approach your shot, your set up, is essential to making a decent swing. How you approach a customer, and establish rapport, is essential to making a sale. Remember, the ability to establish rapport represents as much as 70% of the reason you will or won’t make a sale to your customer.
Follow Through
“Get your belt buckle to the pin!” Those words ring in my ear, reminding me to follow through on the swing. No follow through = another bad shot. In selling, your follow through on the promises you’ve made to your customers is essential to building trust and customer loyalty.
There’s Obstacles Everywhere
Sand traps. Water. Tall grass. As much as you try to avoid them, you inevitably see to end up in these obstacles. It’s how you deal with them, and get out of them, that really matters.
In selling, there are inevitable objections you hear from customers every shift. You do your best to avoid them. But what matters is that when you do face the objection, you’re prepared and able to work around it.
You see, the fundamentals of both golf and selling are very similar.
There’s one more thing I learned: I’m a lot better at selling than I am at golf!
