Training Tips

Lessons from the NFL
Up your game with these tips

Sales wisdom can come from almost anywhere. In his mrinsidesales.com article “A Simple Lesson From the NFL to Close More Business,” Mike Brooks discusses tips he gathered from a SI.com interview with former New England Patriots cornerback Ellis Hobbs. Brooks says sales professionals should make simple, basic improvements by:
1. Recording the reasons prospects don’t close. Use this information to qualify future prospects. Focus on the most common reasons for not closing, and script qualifying questions to weed out prospects that are not promising. This saves time and lets reps focus on the customers who will buy regularly.
2. Upselling. “So many sales reps are afraid to ask for too much and are just happy to get a minimum order. I know because I used to be that way,” Brooks writes. He suggests asking for larger orders regularly. Even if only one tenth of prospects agree to increase their orders, it will significantly increase sales volume.
“Just remember, as you’re reading this the NFL players and coaches are working on the simple things to improve. You should be doing so, too!” concludes Brooks.