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Sales & MMA

Writer's picture: Matthew CossensMatthew Cossens

Sales and MMA have more in common than you may think. 


Over the last 12+ months I have had the privilege of training with some of the best coaches in Melbourne with the goal of stepping into the cage for my first amateur fights. Why would I do this as a middle aged man, with a wife, two beautiful children and career in Sales/Recruitment? Because I believe in getting outside of your comfort zone, constantly challenging yourself, and reinventing your limits. 



What does this have to do with Sales? Let me explain. 


 1) Hard Work

In any pursuit in life it is simple - there is no substitute for hardwork, putting in the hours and grinding. Whether that be training 5 days a week and on the weekends to step in the cage or honing your Sales/Recruitment skills all day every day. You get back what you put in. Hard work is a foundation to success. Shortcuts do not exist!


2) The Basics Strong fundamentals are key. In MMA this is Muay Thai, Wrestling, Brazillian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), cardio fitness and strength. In sales this includes relationship building, active listening, prospecting skills, objection handling, gaining commitment, closing and follow up.


You cannot succeed without building the basics. You must go over the basics, daily. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition! In MMA you must drill over and over again the basics of your craft, daily. In Sales you must be on the phone or in person drilling your craft daily. Fundamentals and activity build the habits of success.


Aristotle sums this up well "We are what we repeatedly do, excellence, then, is not an act but a habit"



3) Specialist Skills

Every elite MMA athlete builds a set of specialist skills. In MMA you may be known for your stand-up skills (Anderson Silva), your wrestling (Yoel Romero), your ground game (Jacare Souza) . You will have exceptional fundamentals but you have also built specialist skills to give you the edge. In recruitment and sales this is no different. You have strong fundamentals, but you need a specialist set of skills. Are you the market expert in a particular technology set, an industry sector. What will you be known for? What is your niche? Continue to develop this daily. Own your chosen discipline, chase after it relentlessly. Connect with other leaders in your specialty area, share knowledge and set yourself apart from the crowd. Customers are seeking salespeople with real insights, in-depth knowledge of their industry and relevant solutions.


4) Coaching & Your Team - Receive feedback and improve  Receiving feedback and constantly improving is key to success. In MMA your coaches have an external viewpoint and will see things that you can miss while in the thick of the action. Their advice while sparring or between rounds can be the difference between winning and losing. A good fighter heeds the advice of his coaches and also learns from those around him. Sales is no different. A good leader (coach) and members of the team can be invaluable to both your success and taking your skills to the next level. You can learn from all members of your team. What is working for them may translate into your 'pitch', conversation, skillset. You can always add to your knowledge and skills from those around you. Perhaps it’s the way of phrasing a particular question, selling a solution, a different approach. On the salesfloor feedback from other high performers and leaders and the ability to learn from those around you is a key to success.


5) Continuous Improvement / Development

In MMA you need to consistently be improving and developing your skills to not be left behind. Seeking out professional development (outside of your coaches), attending seminars of other specialists and consuming content can help you develop new skills and tools that translate in the ring. Equally great salespeople know they need to continuously evolve to stay successful. Success is not defined by what you did yesterday, but what you are doing today. Your habits should include ongoing professional development and training, consuming relevant content (books, blogs, videos) on Sales and your area of expertise. The sales market is ever changing and the best salespeople in my opinion will be those who can combine social media, modern technologies and their ability to connect with some old school skills and the power to influence. Technology is an enabler (and everyone needs to develop alongside these technologies) but real salespeople will still be differentiated by their ability to influence and drive outcomes for all parties.


6) Learn from your mistakes and your success Both in MMA and in sales you cannot always win! Even the best athlete will suffer a loss at some stage. As will the best salespeople. The mindset associated with this however is the key. Take each loss as an opportunity to learn. What could you do differently next time? What could you improve on? Ask positive questions, analyse and grow.


Additionally, learn from your success, don't take it for granted. Analyse what contributed to your success. As a salesperson how did you drive a win for all parties. What could you do differently next time? How could you create a better experience for your customers?

Nelson Mandela put it this way - I never lose, I either win or learn


7) Some days you will just get punched in the face!

Let’s face it, not everyday is going to be amazing! Some days you will not be at 100%, you will be punched in the face by life! And life doesn’t care if that upsets you. When sparring there were days that didn’t go my way, when the competition owned the day or the plan didn’t work. These were days where you had to be resilient, dust yourself and jump back to it the next day. Sales is no different, you will have days where you feel you can’t get it right, that are tough, you will be rejected. Embrace this rejection, get back up, learn and push forward. Remember what makes you successful, remind yourself of the goal, the big picture and continue pushing forward.


This brings me to my last point….


8) Don’t be afraid to change Have a sound plan but If something isn’t working on a continual basis don’t be afraid to change it up. Every opponent is MMA is different, they will have different strength areas. If you are continually being punched in the face, or taken down by a wrestler, change it up. Use a different approach. Don’t be afraid to try something new to be successful. Sales is no different, customers will respond differently depending on your approach. Consider options to move forward, influence the customer, different channels to approach them, other ways to connect. Tailor your approach. Adaption is key for any successful salesperson.


And don’t forget! - Champions are made in the gym, they are willing to do more, train harder, push out that extra rep, push through adversity, pain and fear. They do not sit and wait for others to bring them success, they make their own success.

Champion Salespeople are no different. So, next time you walk through the door to your Salesfloor I challenge you to take on an Athletes mindset.


Visualise the words of Bruce Buffer...."It's Time" https://youtu.be/kHz8ft56lQQ


Switch on! And be the best version of you that you can be. Each and every day!


Please share your thoughts on lessons you have learnt from sport/athletes that has aided you in your professional career.


Connect and follow me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/matthewcossens


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@2018 Matthew Cossens

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