Sales Systems and Super Bowl Champions

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Sales Systems and Super Bowl Champions

describe the imageWhat a great Super Bowl game last night!  As a lifelong Green Bay Packers fan it was especially sweet. 
 
Do you think the Green Bay Packers won the NFL Super Bowl yesterday by chance?  Or do you think there was a little bit of planning, strategy and the consistent execution of a proven system involved in helping the Green Bay Packers overcome tremendous adversity and a tough competitor to win it all?

With key players going down - not just during the big game last night, but really all year - the importance of having a strong system in place could not be more clear.  Charles Woodson goes down with a broken collar bone?  No problem, just use Jarrett Bush to blitz from the slot.  Dropped passes?  No problem, just keep running the plays you know should work and focus on the execution next time (thank you Jordy Nelson!).

The Green Bay Packers beat a quality Pittsburgh Steelers team to win the NFL championship last night because they had a strong system in place that allowed them to continue to function even through adversity.  So what does that have to do with sales?  Everything!

How strong is your sales system?  Have you studied your prospects and competition enough to be able to anticipate their likely moves?  Do you know where you need to focus your initial efforts and what to do when the conversation breaks down?  Do you have a logical progression from A to B, then B to C, then C to Close?

Or do you just wing it and hope for the best?  Sometimes that works - Green Bay had another quarterback famous for his ability to improvise and still succeed.  But as Aaron Rodgers proved last night - focus, preparation, discipline and following a proven system works great too.  And which is more repeatable?  We'll find out over the next few seasons, but I like the odds of continued Packer success with the system Ted Thompsen and Mike McCarthy have put in place. 

As our clients have heard me say over and over again, great systems beat great intentions every time.  Is it time to take a closer look at your sales system so you can have the same odds of repeatable success?