In baseball, we describe a good all-around player as being a “five-tool player”. I am sure you have heard it before. Some guys are power hitters, some are base stealers, and some have a rocket for an arm, but the best of the best are truly well rounded and can help their team win in a number of different ways. In my opinion, Mike Trout is the true definition of a five-tool player. The following are the five tools that are considered: Speed, arm strength, fielding, hitting for power, and hitting for average. I think it is safe to say that Trout checks the box for each one, and “checking the box” is an extreme understatement. So far in his career, he is 7x all-star, 2x A.L. MVP, AL Rookie of the year, 5x Silver Slugger, as well as being a league leader in multiple stats, multiple times. Oh wait, did I mention he is only 26 years old? I think it is safe to say that the more well rounded you are, no matter what you do for a living, will only help you in becoming one of the top performers in your field (no pun intended). Mike Trout is a true five-tool player in Major League Baseball, but are you utilizing the best tools for salespeople?
Unlike baseball, there really isn’t a defined “five tools” that make a well-rounded salesperson. In my mind, there are five stages in every sales cycle. In order to make sure you are producing at a high level, it is imperative to excel in each one. Each one is just as important as the next if you want to win. The five “tools” are as follows:
1.Prospecting
2.Presenting
3.Follow Up
5.Repeat
Let’s look at each one a little closer
Tool #1: Prospecting
You can’t sell anything if you don’t have anyone to sell it to. Now, some of us are lucky enough to sit in an office or a retail store all day where the customers and the leads come to us. But a real salesperson understands the importance of hunting. Sales is a numbers game, and the best part is, most of it is within our control. If you want to make 100 sales, that means you will have to find 100 people. Some of us are natural prospectors. They are the ones who can go to a networking event and talk to everyone there; cracking jokes and having meaningful conversations in an effort to build a relationship and fill their pipeline. Those who check this box, are the ones who have no hesitation in picking up the phone and having a conversation, or walking down the street and introducing themselves and talking about what they do. The best prospectors know how to dial a fresh lead seconds after being hung up on by the previous. Thick skin is a must, and rejection is just part of the process.
Tool #2: Presentation
The goal of excelling with tool number 1 is to set up as many opportunities to excel with tool number 2. Setting 10 appointments in a day is great, but it doesn’t matter if your presentation or pitch is garbage. Those who have this tool in their pocket are the ones who not only know their product or service but understand how to explain to a prospect how that product or service is going to solve their problems. People don’t buy things they don’t need. The goal of presenting your product or service is to sell it. Top sales pros know how to adapt. They not only know how to address and overcome objections, more often than not they can address an objection before the customer even gives it to them. Last but not least, they are prepared. There is nothing worse than sitting down for an appointment and forgetting your notes, or those PowerPoint slides you said you were going to provide to show the return on investment for what you are pitching. Be disciplined and take the time to make your presentation perfect. Is there such thing as a perfect presentation that results in a “no?” You bet. But you never want to hear a “no” knowing full well it resulted from the way you presented something. P.S., don’t be late for an appointment. When was the last time you saw a ballplayer scratched from the lineup because they “hit traffic” or their “GPS lost signal?” Prepare, prepare, prepare.
Tool #3: Follow Up
Okay, so you are the one in the office who is making 100 dials a day, setting appointments left and right, and presenting your product to multiple different decision-makers on a daily basis. But what happens when they don’t buy that day? Or have to postpone their meeting until further notice? A mentor of mine once told me, “the money is in the follow-up.” There is no other feeling quite like a first call close. But let’s face it, not many of us are batting 1.000, not even Mike Trout. In fact, in most industries, a closing percentage over .500 is still high (yes, even Major League Baseball). Unless you get a hard “no”, it means that the prospect is now in your follow up. The key to successful follow-up is to follow up with a purpose. Trust me, there is a reason your emails titled “Just touching base” aren’t getting returned. Clearly there wasn’t enough value provided on the initial pitch for someone to make a buying decision, so naturally, you need to find a way to provide more. The other key to successful follow-up is simply persistency and consistency. Notice I didn’t say “nagging someone every day to see if they are ready to move forward.” Obviously, the topic of follow up could go on and on. But in short, by being the guy or gal who doesn’t give up easily and understands that sometimes things take time, you are going to also be the guy or gal who finds themselves with more deals on the board as time goes on. We work so hard to get prospects in our pipeline, make sure your current follow up efforts aren’t letting them slip out.
Tool #4: Closing
I guess if you had to relate this one to one of the five in baseball, it would be hitting for power. Or more specifically, smashing Barry Bonds-like home runs out of the stadium (without the use of PED’s, of course). Every skill in our tool belt means zippo if we can’t master the close. In a world where we feed our families based on the commissions we make, I mean, EARN, the close is everything. But what makes someone a better “closer” than the next guy? Is a “closer” someone who knows how to push and pressure someone into signing a deal sheet. Signing the deal sheet, yes. Pressuring, no. In my opinion, the best closers are the ones who know how to make every interaction count. Whether it be the initial meet and greet, price presentation, or simply asking discovery questions to figure out if this product will solve their problems. If your product is something the client truly will benefit from, then it is your duty to help “close.” Just like Mike Trout, the best closers know when to swing the bat, and when to lay back. They can recognize buying signals like Trout can recognize a two-seam fastball on a 3-1 count. Whether it is closing on the initial pitch, or crafting a follow-up campaign that eventually leads to a deal being done, the top closers use all the tools they have to knock deals out of the park on a regular basis.
Tool #5: Repeat
This is by far the most important one. You can be an amazing prospector, have the ability to pitch your product in your sleep, follow up like a champ, and have the highest closing percentage in the office, but if you don’t have the will and motivation to be able to do the same thing every day, every week and every month, then you have already limited yourself. Excelling in sales is all about mindset. It is not a 9-5, clock-in and clock-out job. Just like baseball isn’t a 162-game season, it is a 365-day season. Every day counts as far as making yourself better and your team better. Mike Trout is arguably the best all-around player in baseball and doesn’t have a win in the playoffs to show for it. In fact, there is a good chance he could walk down the streets of your hometown and not be recognized by a single person. Imagine what would happen if Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter was in town? He comes to work every day, including regular season and offseason and works on the five tools. He can field, he can hit, and he can run. And the numbers are there to prove it. I encourage you to take a look at your own stats. Maybe you can prospect, but can you close? You have a great pitch, but what are you doing to make sure you are following up appropriately? You just closed a monster deal, but can you get back on the phones and start the process over again? And again? And again? The All-Star game in Major League Baseball is this week. The best of the best. If you aren’t a part of the All-Star fraternity in your office at this point in the year, that’s okay. But if you want to be there eventually, and consistently, then let’s get to work and start mastering the skills it takes to get there.
DM
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!
