I'm really trying to get into the World Cup. Again.
As a self-proclaimed sports nut who did not grow up playing or following soccer (I know, I know, it’s football to most non-Americans) I feel like I’m missing something.
The energy is incredible. The passion is over-the-top, and the skill level is genuinely amazing.
I still don't understand a few things.
Like how the clock isn't really the clock.
Apparently, the time shown is just a suggestion, and the referee decides when enough is enough.
My British friends are working with me on that.
But here's what I do understand about soccer. And American football. And basketball.
At halftime, the teams stop.
They go to the locker room. And what happens in there often determines who wins.
The best coaches aren't giving rah-rah speeches. They're first asking hard questions before even addressing the team.
What's working? What's not? What do we need to stop doing, adjust, or try completely differently? What opportunities are we missing?
And they're asking those questions with honesty and urgency.
Because the second half is coming whether they're ready or not.
Here's how it applies to us.
Those are the exact same questions the best salespeople are asking themselves right now.
Because we are at halftime of the sales year.
June is over. The first half is done. The scoreboard is what it is.
And the question is what you're going to do about it.
What's working? And why?
Don't just look at the number. Go deeper. Which conversations are converting? Which prospects are responding? Which opening, which question, which follow-up approach is actually moving deals forward?
Whatever that is, protect it, reinforce it, and do more of it deliberately. Don't let a hot streak make you sloppy about what's actually causing it.
What's not working? And why?
This is the harder question. Most salespeople know something isn't working but avoid looking directly at it. They hope volume, or ignoring it will cover the gap. It won't.
Be specific. Is it the opening? The questioning? The follow-up? The type of prospects you're targeting? Maybe your discipline. Perhaps you simply aren’t talking to enough people. Name it. Because you cannot fix what you won't face.
What do you need to stop doing, adjust, or try completely differently?
Some things just need to go. The opener that never gets past the first sentence. The follow-up email nobody responds to. The pitch you give before you've asked a single question.
Stop it.
Other things need adjustment. A tweak, a reframe, a different sequence. And some situations call for something completely new… a different approach, a different channel, a different message entirely. And likely, different thinking and activity.
The willingness to try something new is what separates people who improve from people who just repeat.
What opportunities are you missing?
This may be the biggest one of all.
Most salespeople are so focused on the deals already in front of them that they miss the easy opportunities sitting right beside them.
Former customers who haven't heard from you in two years.
Referrals you've never asked for.
An industry you've never approached.
A prospect you've been meaning to call but haven't because you weren't sure it would be worth it.
It's probably worth the call.
Now here's what separates the best teams from everyone else at halftime.
They don't walk into the locker room and tell themselves what they want to hear.
They tell themselves what they need to hear.
That's why they have help.
The greatest athletes in the world, even those at the absolute top of their sport, all do…coaches. Trainers, analysts. People who see what they can't see about themselves, who push them when they'd rather coast, who hold them accountable to the standard they claim to want.
The same is true in sales.
Most salespeople go it alone. They read the articles, watch the videos, click the Like button on the guru LinkedIn posts… maybe attend a training once a year. Then go back to doing exactly what they've always done.
Then they wonder why the second half looks just like the first.
So here's my final question.
Are you satisfied with your halftime score?
Or, if you're being completely honest with yourself, do you know you're capable of more?
After more than forty years in this business, I've become convinced of one thing.
Most salespeople are capable of far more than they're currently producing.
The gap usually isn't talent.
It isn't luck, territory, the economy.
It's thinking. It's action. It's commitment.
So what are you going to do differently beginning tomorrow morning?
If you'd like some help, here are a few ways we can work together, depending on where you are right now.
The Smart Calling App
If you're looking for practical help and accountability every day, the app, trained by me on MY material and coaching, gives you AI tools, daily coaching, sales resources, and quick-hit training you can use immediately. It is interactive and gives you feedback, just as if I was coaching you. http://Studio.com/Art
The First 20 Seconds Formula
If prospecting calls are your biggest challenge, this $37 program will show you exactly what to say, what not to say, and why it works so you can start more conversations and stop getting shut down in the first few seconds. http://First20Seconds.com
Smart Calling College
Want to master the entire Smart Calling process? The Smart Calling College gives you step-by-step training on prospecting, messaging, questioning, objections, follow-up, voicemail, and really, the entire sales process. This is the same program I have delivered hundreds of times for entire sales teams in virtually all industries. By the way, Sales Leaders, if you are looking for a comprehensive program for your entire team, this is it. http://SmartCallingCollege.com
The Ultimate Sales Pro
This is the complete system for developing the mindset, habits, and skills of top-performing sales professionals. I’ve looked, and have never seen a program this in-depth, that covers the all-important identity required for sales reps to become true sales pros. https://smartcalling.ultimatesalespro.com/. If your roadblock is more internal… fear, procrastination, imposter syndrome issues, call avoidance… this covers what other sales training does not.
Smart Calling Ultimate Sales Pro Mastery
If you're serious about making the second half of this year your best ever, and your entire career, actually, this is where we work together. It includes The Ultimate Sales Pro, Smart Calling College, live coaching, accountability, and an outstanding community of sales professionals committed to improving every week. This is my application-only program, and the only one with regular personal access to me. https://smartcallingtraining.com/aes-application
Not ready for a program? I get it. Some people are not there.
You can continue learning for free through the Smart Calling Report, my weekly newsletter filled with practical prospecting and sales ideas.
And if you enjoy listening while you're driving, walking, or working out, there are hundreds of free episodes waiting for you on The Art of Sales Podcast.
Halftime is over.
Let's go win the second
