We watch a lot of sports in our house. There is almost always a game, tournament, or other type of competition on our TV. The past few weeks have been no exception. If you’re at all interested in American sports or American culture, you couldn’t have missed that Derek Jeter retired from the New York Yankees. Derek Jeter has captured the hearts of almost everyone, baseball fan or not. He’s had a tremendous career and reached the pinnacle of success in his profession.
His career reminds me of something I learned long ago from Albert E. N. Grey. Albert was a life insurance agent in the 1930s and leading sales trainer and speaker in the industry. In 1940, he delivered what is now a famous speech entitled “The Common Denominator of Success.” His timeless premise is that the difference between successful people and others is that successful people make a habit of doing the things that less successful people hate to do.
For some, extraordinary success seems elusive. The reality is that it lies in the little things and the habits we create as professionals in our chosen field. Sure, Derek Jeter had some innate talent and gifts as a baseball player. However, there are plenty of people with that same raw talent who will never reach the same level of success, notoriety, and distinction as “Captain Jeter.” Jeter is different. He definitely has the common denominator of success, and much more.
As sales professionals, we don’t have the opportunity to perform in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans, but we do have the ability to make a difference every day and excel in our profession. Here are a few examples of what we can learn from Jeter’s success on and off the baseball field.
Excellence builds on competence. Mastery and application of our skills as sales professionals is critical for our long-term success. There is no question that Jeter stood out among his peers and worked to achieve a level of mastery that set him apart from almost everyone. That excellence did not happen by accident. He worked hard. He studied the game. And he had a passion for excellence. Excellence was the goal, not just competence.
Today, salespeople have to continue to improve their skills to stay at the top of their own game. Relationship skills, communication skills, and sales skills have to be honed in our dynamic world. What got us to this point in our career may not be sufficient to keep us at the same level of performance.
Integrity. When we think of integrity, professional athletes are not the first group of individuals that come to mind. Yet, I have never heard anyone say that Jeter was nothing if not an example of the highest standards and integrity. There does not seem to be any gap between what he says and what he does.
Sales professionals also need to have integrity. Authenticity, empathy, and honesty are key attributes in any relationship and certainly in a business relationship. You show you have integrity when you, like Jeter:
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Respect the competition, and don’t bash it. In doing so, Jeter’s competitors had tremendous respect for him
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Be a good teammate and celebrate everyone’s role and contribution
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Never mail it in – never stop caring about the outcome or the task before it is complete
Motivation. In a recent interview, Derek Jeter was asked how he stayed motivated and what fueled his work ethic. He was very clear: It was his parents. His motivation was not only to make them proud, but also to never, ever embarrass them. That was his compass when making decisions.
Every top-performing salesperson I have met is very clear about his or her motivation. It is an internal fire that cannot be extinguished by external forces. When we connect with that inner motivation, our behavior tends to be much more aligned to the long-term goal. When we merely look for motivation from the outside, it doesn’t last or create the right types of habits. Identify the why you do what you do, and the what and how will simply fall into place.
Jeter is a world-class athlete. What led to his success can be the foundation for any sales professional to learn from, emulate and excel in their career.
