Frank posted at http://thesalesarchaeologist.blogspot.com/2008/05/are-you-ready-for-playoffs.html. I apologize for not picking an excerpt, but quite honestly, if a post is this good, I’m not gonna show you a piece of it. I think the whole post is worth reading. So, think about it. His first point is bring your “A” game or go home. His second point is think outside the box. Differentiate yourself. The old you isn’t good enough this year. And, doesn’t his third point say that it’s not about you. It’s about your customer. Great post, Frank!

So, by now, you may know that the Celtics won that first game and I want to share a lesson that I got watching the sports part of the 11 o’clock news. Please understand that although I know the difference between a 2-point shot and a 3-point shot, that’s about where my knowledge of basketball ends.

OK, so a Celtic player is at the microphone. (He’s a black guy if that helps.) And he’s talking about the type of game that they played. He said something like, it’s like a boxing match where it’s all body shots. No jabs. No hooks. No finesse. Just body shot, body shot, body shot. It wasn’t pretty and we almost killed each other.

So, I got to thinking. How many salespeople say benefit and get an objection, then feature and another objection, than another feature or benefit to get another objection. Salesperson delivers another body shot and the prospect counters with another body shot until eventually somebody is knocked out and now that the loser is unconscious, the one left standing is declared the winner.

Does it really have to be that way? Aren’t you sick of it?

Can you find the compelling reason (jab)?

Can you develop some urgency (hook)?

Do you have SOB quality (cross)? (Buy the book.)