Swinging, Swearing & Shampoo Wins Deals

Golf course deals are a cliché, but the Ryder Cup inspires Alex to reveal what really drives a sale.

When Rory McIlroy was heckled on the 16th hole of Saturday morning’s Ryder Cup foursomes, he responded in kind.

“Guys, shut the f*** up,” was his first response. His second was to hit his approach shot to less than three feet. But in many ways, McIlroy had heard it all before.

Luke Donald, the captain of Team Europe, had given each of his players a virtual reality headset in the months leading up to the Ryder Cup. In addition to simulating playing the course, the kit included the noise and ferocity of the crowd they anticipated encountering at Bethpage Black.

But what has this got to do with sales and winning business? - I hear you ask

Preparation…is the answer.

I have lost track of the number of salespeople I have worked with who have achieved, arguably, one of the toughest parts of the sales process is getting that first face-to-face meeting with the prospect, but then approach this key engagement with a somewhat laissez-faire attitude.

When asked, ‘What is your plan for the call?’ They will say, ‘we will go with the flow’, or ‘let’s keep it organic.’ - Sounds great, dynamic and engaging, but will 9 times out of 10 end in tears.

It is vital that you come prepared with a meeting framework, based on what you want to achieve on this call, that includes a set of scenarios if it doesn’t go quite as planned.

• What will your position be if the prospect demands a demo?
• The call is booked to last 45 minutes, but what if the prospect only has 20?
• What if they want to know how much the solution costs at the beginning of the call?
• Your contact is unable to make the call and in their absence, what if they send a junior person?

You need to have thought ahead and prepared for as many of the challenges and obstacles that you may face.

Keeping with our Ryder Cup theme, golfing superstars are not immune to jet lag, so they were completely in sync when the action began by going out nearly two weeks prior to Friday's opening day. Spending more time on Long Island enabled extra preparation on the ground, sussing out the lay of the land at Bethpage Black, and working out the all-important partnerships.

Again, what has this got to do with sales and managing that all-important first meeting?

Well, boring as it may sound, it has all to do with timing and practice.

• Have you played back the meeting agenda to your manager or one of your colleagues to ensure it gives you the best chance of getting the outcome you want?
• If you have a colleague joining you on the call, have you discussed and rehearsed who is leading which part of the meeting, which of you steps in to ask and answer certain questions?
• Have you checked that any key materials are present correctly in the meeting channel or with the tech you are using?

And finally, has any great leader ever referenced hotel shampoo when asked for details about their leadership strategy?

When the Ryder Cup European team arrived at their hotel, things were not quite up to scratch. A crack in the doors to each room let in too much light. The bedding was not as comfortable as it could have been. And the shampoo did not smell fragrant enough.

So they brought things that covered the light, changed the bedding, and upgraded the shampoo to one that “had a better smell”.

You are probably getting into the swing (no pun intended) of what comes next now….

It is the attention to detail that helped the European team win the Ryder Cup, and sales is no different. Going into that first face-to-face meeting, have you

• Checked their LinkedIn profile, connected with them, and identified any mutual connections?
• Looked at their company report, read their vision and objectives, and got an understanding of their financial position?
• Identified what tech they may be using and if it complements or competes with your own offering?
• Reviewed and researched PR pieces to understand recent acquisitions, key senior new hires, and strategic partnerships?

Some will argue that the boardroom presentation is the crucial moment, while others will say it is the proposal submission.

In my experience, the business is won much earlier in the process by those who plan, prepare, practise, and pay close attention to the details in order to set the tone for the relationship in that all-important first face-to-face meeting. 

Swinging, swearing, and the shampoo.