There’s a clear parallel between the skills that make a strong athlete and the skills that make a successful salesperson. It may not seem like the two positions have much in common at first glance, but there are plenty of characteristics found in top athletes that contribute to a successful career after sports.
Impressive Work Ethic and Self-Motivation
To succeed at a high level as an athlete, you have to have unwavering motivation and a drive that keep going. Many top players excel by visualizing their success – a mental tool that proves very necessary to survive the grind of early morning practices and challenging workouts. This mental toughness to prepare for greatness translates well to the world of sales: Envisioning a successful meeting (and dare we say “manifesting” a win) can give you the mental edge needed to close the deal.
Publishers at N2 are in charge of running their own business, which means they set their own schedules, maximize their own time, and have the opportunity to work from home – all without reporting to a boss. This allows individuals to flex their entrepreneurship muscles and take pride in owning something they built. But it also requires strict discipline. This is an environment much easier for prior athletes to thrive in.
A commission-based role, the publisher opportunity means you earn a check that directly reflects your effort. For some, this is a daunting equation. But for those who have the drive and a strong work ethic, as most athletic types do, this equation can prove extremely lucrative.
“The difference between winning and just participating is only about 10 percent. Always give the extra 10 percent in life and you will be a winner. Shoot for the highest standards. Being proud but never satisfied separates the good from the great,” says Tristan Manning, N2 publisher and Region Manager.
Learn about N2’s business ownership opportunity.
Willingness to Adapt
Anticipating every challenge is impossible, whether you’re facing a bad call from a ref or navigating meeting cancellations during a hectic workday. Mastering adaptability is a tough task, but with practice, it becomes a valuable asset. Athletes tend to be masters at handling unforeseen changes, and therein lies a competitive advantage. Cool under pressure and able to recalibrate due to unexpected changes? You’ll go far in sales, no problem.
“Both athletics and my military training have forced me to handle pressure in the best means possible. Sometimes it can be the pressure of someone watching, and sometimes it can be the pressure of not letting your team down, or in the case of my role as an N2 publisher, to produce results in growing my business,” says Tristan. “This can be a lot to handle for some, but being familiar with that feeling and getting used to performing under pressure will prepare one for any potentially stressful situations they may encounter. Always trying to turn a negative into a positive is key.”
Time Management
For most, being an athlete is only one part of what life consists of. Maybe you were a student-athlete and had to balance the “student” part of that equation. Maybe you’ve played professionally but have also tried to maintain a life with friends and family separate from your athletic pursuits. In the same way, working in sales is only one of the many moving pieces in someone’s life. Perfecting time management is the only way to make sure you devote appropriate time to all of the directions life pulls you. This is a tricky endeavor, but one that many athletes have plenty of experience in achieving.
“You should never become one-dimensional because being well-rounded will make you better at everything. Well-rounded athletes and business owners are more useful in general and more successful,” says Tristan.
Ability to Overcome Failure
There comes a time in every athlete’s career when the game or race doesn’t go their way. Failure is a natural part of competition and as hard as one may try, it’s unavoidable. The same rings true in sales. There will come a day when the sale doesn’t close as expected. Let’s be honest: On more days than not the sale won’t go as expected. The true test is how willing and able one is to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and try again. It’s all about grit and determination – something athletes have in spades.
Turning setbacks into comebacks is all part of the process, especially when you’re in sales. There are no participation trophies here. As business owners, just like athletes, you are expected to do your job and keep pressing forward. How you react to failures is key to the success or undoing of a sales career. For this aspect of the role, athletes have the edge for success.
Being a salesperson isn’t something that comes easy to everyone. It requires work ethic, adaptability, time management, and the willingness to fail. However, these skills are all able to be practiced. Someone coming from an athletic background already has the homecourt advantage.
If you’re ready to discover your “end game” as a business owner, consider our publisher role.
