Prior to co-founding Outfield, I’ve worked within business development in a variety of different ways, functions, and industries. One thing was always consistent within sales teams – you had to earn your stripes. If new to the team, you had to demonstrate that you were willing to put in the work. That meant making the calls. It meant enduring the rejections while being able to get back up, shake things off and refocus. Most certainly, when it came to gaining the respect of colleagues, you had to keep up in terms of input, and eventually, go on to outperform them in many cases. Often times, when starting out with a new company, you get the old leads that no one was working on. Sales managers do this for a number of different reasons. For starters, we want to learn how you respond to rejection. Do you break down? Do you pivot and begin hunting for your own game? Can you actually convert a customer from the list of leads that no one else wants? Companies need to get a better understanding of how their sales rep will behave, while also getting them into a routine for calling on accounts. One thing is for sure – this will NOT happen at the expense of fresh qualified leads. The Glengarry Glen Ross leads go to those who have demonstrated the ability close – always. The starters basically.
What we witnessed in the 2018 Men’s NCAA Championship game was pretty epic. A non-starter by the name of Donte Divincenzo, who comes off the bench for the Villanova Wildcats, led his team to the National Championship against the Michigan Wolverines. Divincenzo scored a surprising 18 points in the first half of the game giving his team a significant advantage over the Wolverines leading into the second. Something equally impressive transpired during the second half. It appeared that the opposition was beginning to make a push, then within a 52-second stretch, the freshman drains three 3 pointers in a row. The Wildcats seized the momentum and expanded the lead to an 18-point spread. All of this was happening while Jalen Brunson, Villanova’s star and College Basketball’s Player of the Year, put on one of his worst performances of the season. The fierce, but unsuspecting competitor, Divincenzo went on to rack up a career-high 31 points. This was the most points ever scored by a non-starter in the championship game and most by anybody since 1989. Because of his insane and timely performance, Donte Divincenzo claimed the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player award.
Like competitive sports, being a high performer in sales is not easy. Sometimes it can appear more difficult when you don’t feel you’re operating in a starter’s role. There are times when you may feel undervalued and don’t get the accolades you deserve. Your confidence will waver. There will be disappointments. This is all a part of the process. Take a lesson from Donte Divincenzo, who was disappointed when he learned that he would be coming off the bench this season. To break through and get the respect you deserve may sometimes begin with acting as the sales team leader… from the bench. Go hard in the paint regardless of your “position” among the ranks and eventually your moment will come.
Watch what Villanova head coach, Jay Wright had to say about Donte’s performance and his status for next year.
