A great sales tip from a Chief Petty Officer in the Navy

A Navy Chief Petty Officer came up to my boat, cursed at me in a way that only a salty veteran could, and shared with me something that I’ll keep with me the rest of my life…

My journey to join the Marine Corps began in college as a Navy Midshipman, and part of my training was learning how to sail.

One day, out on a lake, we participated in a sailing race. Everything I did was perfectly executed, from my line rigging to my sail trimming. I started the race leading the pack, but halfway through my wind died. I found myself going ABSOLUTELY nowhere (stick with me here, there’s a sales story coming).

Out of nowhere, a competitor of mine not only started to move, but soon passed me at a clipping pace. Infuriated, I checked my lines and sails again, only to confirm that they were all perfectly configured. I cursed my boat, placing the blame not on me, but on something that must be out of my control.

Along came my instructor, a Chief Petty Officer, in a motorized zodiac. When he was within two feet of me, he raised his bullhorn, turned it up to full volume so the whole lake could hear, and bellowed:

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU DUMB *** CHANGE YOUR DIRECTION!”

You see, with sailing, you rarely get from point A to point B via a direct line. The angle at which you point your boat, as well as how you set your sail, has everything to do with how fast you’re moving, or, in my case, if you’re moving at all!

Too often in sales management, I hear: “Just do more of the same, and we’ll get to plan!”

I’ve heard many sales managers preach: “just make more sales calls, and send more emails”. That may be true in some cases, but if that approach is NOT working, then “doing more of the same” doesn’t help you or your sales management reach your goals.

I could have continued to tighten my lines and trim my sails, but if I hadn’t changed my direction when things weren’t working, I never would have gotten the wind I so desperately needed.

So I encourage all of you sales reps out there — if what you’re doing is exceeding plan and you’re into multipliers, then great, do more of that! But if you’re not making plan or are always looking at new ways to make your quota, then change your direction! Sometimes something as small as a 10 degree turn on a sail boat can make all the difference in the world.

I encourage you to check out www.illumineto.com. Our product, Spark, is built by sales reps, FOR sales reps. It’s a different way of engaging with customers, and sales reps are LOVING IT!

I would be happy to give you a personal tour and…it’s totally free to get started.

(Written by Nick Caruso, Co-Founder and Sales Professional, Illumineto Inc.)