By Bob Miller
Tough competitors always bring out the best in everyone – in tennis and in sales
What a Wimbledon! For the women: Angelique Kerber versus Serena Williams. For the men: Novak Djokovic against Kevin Anderson. Plenty of lessons for sales reps.
Kerber was ready for the moment and showed a strong mental attitude and patience in defeating Williams. Kerber had been there before. Two years ago she faced Williams in the finals, and lost. This time was a different story. She won.
“I think it’s the experience you have to go through — all the good things, and the bad things,” she said after the match. “From this, you learn and grow, and figure a way to victory.”
Kerber was the first German woman to win since Steffi Graf in 1996. She only had five unforced errors in the match against Williams. She also broke Williams’ serve four out of nine service games.
In sales – as in tennis — many times experience is the best teacher. You have not had a good month, your sales calls are going nowhere and you’re not closing any big sales. So what do you do? You persist, try a new angle, or say it a different way. You stay after it, never quitting. You learn from your mistakes. Different experiences and make it happen.
For Williams, this was only her fourth tournament since giving birth to her daughter. It had only been 10 months, yet there she was, playing in the finals of Wimbledon. Her attitude and driving force to compete were amazing.
Both women showed toughness and mental fortitude. For Williams, simply reaching the finals – 10 months after having a child — was a tremendous accomplishment. Her mindset was different than Kerber’s, who has been trying to come back after losing to Williams two years ago. Kerber was ready and focused to win. Williams wanted to win too — don’t get me wrong. But just being out there and reaching the finals was a tremendous accomplishment.
Sometime in sales, getting the silver eagle is not what you want, but it’s part of the journey to get that gold eagle. It’s your mindset, where you are in your career, and product knowledge. If you persevere, it will come. Be patient and have a desire to succeed.
On the men’s side, the competition was unreal: Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Isner and Anderson.
Kevin Anderson played Roger Federer — maybe the greatest of all time — and was down two sets and playing the third in a tiebreaker. He had match point against him and somehow got out of that and won the fifth set 13-11. Nothing is impossible.
Anderson then played John Isner and had to play another five sets. Six hours and 30 minutes on the court. He beat Isner 26-24. Incredible.
Who is this guy? He is a 6-ft.-10-in. giant who, two years ago, turned his attitude around to a positive nature. When he practices, he has a goal in mind. He needs to accomplish something, otherwise … forget about it.
Do you have a goal or strategy when making your calls? If you are just going through the motions, your chances of being consistently successful are poor. If, however, you have a goal and a plan, your chances of attaining it increase dramatically.
The other two warriors were Nadal, and Djokovic. Two tremendous athletes. Nadal was coming off the French Open Championship, which he has won 11 times.
Djokovic — a 12-time Grand Champion himself — hasn’t been playing very well in the past two years. New coaches, old coaches, wrist surgery, marriage and two children. He has been experiencing life with its growing pains, and is learning how to adjust. He kept trying and persisting and ended up beating Nadal 13-11 in the fifth set. Then he plays Anderson in the finals and outplays him the first two sets but has to go to a tiebreaker in the third to win.
Both players showed incredible tenacity to get to the finals. It was a journey filled with ups and downs. Nothing is easy in life. Working hard, working smart, and having a strategy are all keys to making your dream come true.
Doing all these things doesn’t guarantee success, but it definitely increases your odds. Always give your best. You might be surprised what you can accomplish.
Bob Miller is executive vice president of sales and vendor relations for Gericare Medical Supply, Monroeville, Alabama. He contributes to Repertoire on a regular basis, tying together sports and sales.