How to Learn from the Challenge of Defeat

If you learn from defeat, you haven't really lost. -- Zig Ziglar

I have been watching the NBA playoffs and since I live in California, I am pulling for the Los Angeles Lakers. Throughout the playoffs, I have noticed how each team seems to make adjustments to their strategy to win the next came. There are 48 minutes to each basketball game and these are divided into four quarters and over the past few weeks, I have noticed how each quarter seems to be played differently. I have watched the game change as players are substituted and adjustments made in how the players approach the changing situations. This really is a great strategy that seems like a chess match among the coaches and players.

In business, we should be making similar adjustments to our game of selling. Unfortunately, many business owners and salespeople are not noticing how the selling and business games strategy has changed and so they are not making any changes. This lack of change and learning will only lead to defeat.

The Recap Meeting to WIN!

When I watch the playoff basketball games, I watch with greater interest as the teams close out each quarter. I know that I'm watching the best of the best in action. At each quarter, the coaches and players get together to discuss strategy changes. This is the right thing to do. Adjustments need to be made to win the game and adjust to the changes the other team has made. I thought it would be good for us to look at some of the changes in the game of selling.

What do you do now that buyers aren't returning telephone calls?

Are the letters, email and communications we send matching our objectives and are they relevant to the situation at hand or - should they be changed?

What do you do now that the marketing campaign is 4 months old? Is the campaign working the way you intended or should you modify and change the way you are selling or marketing?

Is the selling process you follow working? If it isn't, should you modify the systematic approach you are following. If you don't have a selling process, should you adopt one that will work better.
We could go on and on with more questions and the important thing for us to do is to learn from each selling situation and grow closer to the perfect winning combination. If we are not looking at each defeat and asking the right questions, we will have to keep learning the same defeats over and over again.

Asking good questions and changing strategies is important in basketball. It is just as important in selling and we should ask questions about our strategies and recap how we are doing on a consistent basis.

By: Steve Martinez from Selling Magic 951-277-0080