Sales and the London Marathon
I think being successful in sales is often akin to running a marathon…
“The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of 42.195 kilometres, usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy.” Wikipedia
This is the London Marathon:
In running the marathon, there are a number things that enable it to go smoothly for every runner:
After you sign up, before you start, the runners get a map they can study. It helps to prepare so they know where they are going…
Before you run a marathon, you would start training, do practice runs and work on your technique to give you the best chance of successfully completing it…
Throughout the run, there are clear signs on which route to take (for the stragglers out there!)…
There are markers so you know where you are up to on your 26.2 mile journey…
There’s no denying that for most runners (except perhaps the elite athletes), you are likely to hit tough times throughout. You may need to stop and regroup. You may need extra encouragement from the side-lines. You may even need to align to a pace runner so you can achieve your personal best.
But whatever you do, the training, the map, the directions and the clear milestones on the way are key to you completing your goal.
At the end of the marathon, assuming you have completed the official distance via the right route you are awarded a much coveted and well deserved official medal.
This signifies you are achieved your goal.
If we only take the distance as our goal…
X No map
X No training
X No route guides
X No milestones along the way
We may end up doing the 26.2 miles…
But we wouldn’t achieve the medal.
We wouldn’t get the accolades.
We wouldn’t have actually run the London Marathon.
We’ve just spent a long time running a really long way in the wrong direction.
In fact, we’d end up alone in Kings Langley!
If you are wondering what any of this has to do with sales, let’s bring this back to the point:
To be successful at sales, to achieve the goal, you need to follow these elements:
Start with a map that defines success. - a sales competency framework is exactly that. It helps you identify where you need to focus your efforts. It tells you where you need to be. Read more on that here: Operationalise a sales competency framework
Get the right training - your sales competency framework will help you identify where to focus your training efforts to have the greatest impact on success.
Have a route guide - Use your sales competency framework as your route guide, aligned with leading indicators to really focus on where you need to head.
Use your key KPI’s to locate where you are on your journey - align these to your competency framework and set yourself SMART objectives to achieve along the way.
Like me, you may not be an elite athlete but being successful in sales requires the same preparation, planning and execution you would dedicate to running the London Marathon.
Having this structure, powers up your chances of successfully reaching your goal.