Marketing and Sales is like football
In a complex B2B sale, the salesperson’s job is to enhance and personalize the marketing message for the buyer. The salesperson
is supposed to deliver the information from the company to the decision-maker in a way that effectively shows the product and company in the best light for that particular prospect.
In American football, the quarterback and team don’t go straight down the field. They do a series of plays going left and right but always trying for a net forward position. Some plays will be a run to the left, a pass to the right,
or a run up the middle.
Football is very analogous to a sales campaign. The amount that the player travels sideways doesn’t matter. It is only the forward progress that matters. The goal of the football team is to advance the ball to cross the end line, and it doesn’t matter if that is through the middle of the field or in either corner.
Your goal is the
same as the football team. You are responsible for getting the ball into the end zone or, more accurately, for closing the order. In football, the offensive team has the goal of moving the ball down the field to the touchdown. They have this goal if they receive the ball on their 49-yard line. They also have this goal if they receive the ball on their 2-yard line. The goal doesn’t change based on the ball’s position on the field. It also doesn’t change for you based on the quality or source of
the lead.
If this analogy sounds interesting to you, I hope that you will click the button below to learn more about how football strategy aligns well with sales strategy.
