A few weeks ago I attended an annual cycling training camp in Ponca, Arkansas. This was the fifth year the team I ride for has ventured south to find warmer temperatures and grueling climbs up steep slopes of the Ozark Mountains.
Many of the climbs are 4-5 miles long, with average gradients of 8-12%. Such ascents are not only physically challenging, but also psychologically intimidating. You approach each section thinking to yourself “can I actually make it to the top?”
Riding a bike up a mountain pass is eerily similar to achieving sales success. There are times that both seem unobtainable, but the reward is always worth the effort. There are times when you’re exhausted and simply want to stop. But winners gut it out and find a way to keep going, while the weak bow their heads and simply give up.
Like sales, technical skills and experience are crucial. As I’ve mentioned many times before, sales is a science…a series of repeatable events designed to produce a desired outcome. Every cog in the sales cycle relies on the one before it – and the one after it – to ensure a smooth transition from acquiring a prospect to closing the sale. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!
Bike racing at a competitive level is no different: years of riding thousands of miles each season contributes to leg muscle memory, constantly pushing anaerobic limits increases lung capacity, developing a consistent nutrition plan is required to fuel the engine. Without the legs, without the lungs, without adequate sustenance…failure is imminent. There are no shortcuts. You absolutely must put in the hard work if you want to relish in the success. CONSISTENCY IS CRUCIAL!
As a husband, a father, and an advertising sales professional, time is precious. To remain competitive as a bike racer, I need to effectively use every opportunity to train my body – whether it’s a short 1-hour ride after our daughter is in bed before the sun sets or a 6-hour Sunday ride with teammates spinning out big miles. EVERY MINUTE COUNTS!
The Minnesota News Media Institute continues to provide exceptional training opportunities to our members in a variety of topics. If you’re dedicated to finding success as a newspaper professional, I implore you to to attend a few of these valuable sessions. Challenge yourself to learn new skills. Dedicate yourself to become a master of your trade.
As Sir Winston Churchill said, “We shall not fail or falter, we shall not weaken or tire…give us the tools and we will finish the job.”
To learn more about how MNI can provide you with the tools to find professional success, click here. We want to help you make it to the top of each and every mountain you may encounter!
Have a terrific week,
Dan
If there are specific topics you’d like to see discussed in a future issue of The Sales Cycle, please contact me at (612) 278-0223 or dan@mna.org