Five Reasons why Student-Athletes are Successful in Sales

1.    Work Ethic and Motivation
Athletes understand what it means to work hard and are willing to go above and beyond what is asked – if they slack off, they know that there is someone on the bench ready to take their place. Athletes are motivated by results, and they embrace the fact that the more they put in and harder they work, the results will show. They have a genuine desire to get better and have the willingness to put in extra hours to do so. This persistence and dedication are also necessary to thrive in any sales role. 

2.    Adaptability
In any sport, athletes need to learn to adapt to their surroundings and make decisions on the fly in high pressure circumstances. This may involve strategically analyzing their opponent’s next move or evaluating their strengths and weaknesses to come up with a better game plan in order to get the win. Thus, athletes are well-equipped for problem solving situations. Managers look for candidates who are flexible and easily adjust in any environment.

3.    Coachability
Athletes listen and are receptive to coaching. Elite athletes respond well to receiving criticism and use the feedback to improve their performance. Sales Managers are like coaches. Their responsibility is to provide different perspectives and strategy to a sales rep to help them fine-tune their skills. Sales Reps who are open to constructive criticism demonstrate that they are committed to their own professional development and doing what it takes to become successful. 

4.    Time Management
Being an athlete is a full-time commitment. It requires discipline, sacrifice and exceptional time management skills. Juggling a schedule that includes practices, weights and conditioning, and travel to games or matches while prioritizing schoolwork and a social life is not an easy task. In order to perform well in their sport and school, an athlete needs to know how to organize their time appropriately. This is also crucial in sales when a rep is responsible for evaluating their territory to determine where to focus their time in order to get the best result and productivity.

5.    Preparation
Athletes understand that preparation is vital to performance. An athlete will spend hours of each day training to ensure they can show up to each competition physically and emotionally prepared. Training with and utilizing the proper equipment is also crucial to giving an athlete the best opportunity to win. This is transferable to sales. Walking into a sales call with a prepared strategy and utilizing available resources will not only help in closing the deal but will also build a positive reputation with customers.

This article was provided courtesy of ConMed.