It’s the end of the month and you’re desperately trying to reach your quota. Next month depends on your success at this very moment. Question is, how do you keep your composure and close on those leads you’ve been working diligently on? If you saw this weekend, Lebron James did it again. Although criticized in the past for his lack of a clutch gene, James has had 3 buzzer beaters this year that time and time again bring back the ‘greatest of all time’ conversation. This weekend was a bit different, however. Once James had the ball in his hand with 8 seconds left…I knew. We all knew the game was over. Lebron James is now certified clutch and should be feared in the closing seconds.

I watched the tape over and over and saw a stunning correlation between his last 8 seconds and closing sales. After all, we’re all racing against the clock at points in our career and need to be prepared to best take advantage of that time.

Maintain your pace

It is so easy to get caught up in the speed of the process, especially when time is not on your side. According to Hubspot, 36% of salespeople say that closing is the most challenging part of the sales process. This can lead to anxiousness or elevated stress in the last days of the month as well as a natural tendency to speed up a salespersons process and lose control over the outcome. Because of this companies can take a 27.2% hit to the top of the line by not managing their end-of-the-month sales strategies well.

So what did LBJ do? It takes around 4 seconds to sprint to the 3-point line on the opposite side of the court. James accounted for the time, was aware of his surroundings and situation, and did not rush his shot at all. In a series where his fadeaway has kept falling, his closing strategy was true to what always works for him and sunk it when it mattered most.

Don’t lose sight of the fundamentals

He’s a superstar so he is allowed to be flashy. One thing I absolutely loved about the shot was that he used the backboard to cap off the night. At that velocity and angle, the most efficient shot was going to be one that worked well with the back fade. Growing up, we learned the importance of the bank and, man oh man, was it open this weekend. Don’t lose touch with your fundamentals when closing sales. As Michael Scott said “Mental is part of the word, I have underlined it because you’re mental if you don’t have a good time.” They also are the very basis of you as a sales individual. Don’t modify your tactics too drastically for the sake of time. It may distract the client and make you seem unprofessional and rushed.

Recognize your greatness

Just because you’re pressed on time does not mean you’ve failed at any time during the month. The importance of sales confidence is still just as applicable and perhaps more. Just like players go back and watch tape to see where to improve, watch your tapes and see what has worked. Relive other sales. Recognize where you’ve previously come in clutch. It is those moments in time where bringing back those emotions of success can carry on to your next sale. Lebron probably watched his Round 1 Game 5 game-winner over and over and reasserted to himself that he is the go-to in every closing situation.

 

Recognize your greatness.

 

Just like Lebron closed out game 3 and continued cementing his legacy, you can take your end-of-the-month and make it special.

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