Sales can be an overwhelming word for a business owner.  I know that the hairs on the back of my head rise every time I think about selling my services in the traditional way.

Some people are natural hustlers when it comes to sales - they have no problem pushing their product into a sea of rejection.   They weave and wind between objections and are still able to reach the goal line and make the sale.  But I am not a hustler and have a difficult time with a sea of rejection. 

So the thought of traditional sales makes me very uncomfortable.  

Fortunately for me, I know that I can still sell like an all-star quarterback without the skills of selling.

A System that Sells Itself

I was recently talking with a business owner who owns a service business that she runs.  In regards to sales, she explained that she doesn’t want to worry about sales because she really just wants to focus on the service she offers.  

She said “I want a sales system that sells itself."

And I completely agree.  A sales system should sell itself.  But many businesses haven’t taken the time to set up a sales system that does this effectively.

Sales Strategy and Football

Living in Indiana, I can’t help but love NFL football.  Petyton Manning and Andrew Luck have made being a Colts fan almost impossible.  

While I am not an expert on the sport, I have learned that a football team will generally utilize two different strategies for their offense: a passing game and a running game.  While every team in the NFL implements both strategies, some teams rely more heavily on one than the other.

For example, the Colts have relied on a clear passing strategy for over a decade now: they hire an all-star quarterback who will sit back and wait for players to get open.  While being a quarterback is clearly more complicated than just sitting back and waiting, the idea is that an elite quarterback is able to execute on passes that other teams won’t attempt.

The second type of strategy is to implement a running game where a running back must weave the ball between defenders, who often seem to be twice the size of a running back.

To me, this is how traditional selling feels: it feels like I am a 5ft 10in, 190 pound running back trying to maneuver my way through a defensive line of 6ft 6in, 285 pound linemen.  

For me, I would prefer a sales strategy that is more similar to a passing game - one that is developed in advance and is skillfully executed.  

This is exactly what a well designed sales process can do for a business - it can act like an all-star quarterback.  A sales process should be able to sell itself so that the owners can focus on what they love to do and what they do best.

What kind of offense have you been running with your sales strategy?