By Doug Van Dyke, Leadership Simplified, www.leadershipsimplified.com

When you spend the first twelve years of your life in Chicago, as I did, you learn that each spring you have a choice to make: Cubbies or White Sox. In many ways it is a ridiculous choice, but I was (and still am), a White Sox fan. During my youth, being a Sox fan was just as frustrating as rooting for the little bears from the windy place. In 2005, however, long after I had moved from Chicago, an amazing thing happened – the White Sox won the World Series. When you looked at their roster, you had to wonder how they scored enough runs to win. They had a void of home run hitters. In fact, they were nowhere near the league leaders in home runs. So how did they win it all? The answer: they hit singles and played smart. The team’s leader, their manager Ozzie Guillen, realized early on that his team did not possess the ability to go long, so they got creative and played “small ball.” They bunted or hit chop singles, and then stole bases and hit sacrifice flies. The 2005 White Sox were not a pretty team to watch, but they hustled, played as a team, and stayed positive.

What the heck does this have to do with sales? Answer: a lot actually. As sales leaders, there are several lessons can we learn from my beloved Chicago White Sox.

1. Think creatively and hit singles. If you cannot hit the home runs that you would like (or that you used to hit), go for singles. In other words, figure out other ways to score runs. What are some singles that you could hit, or that you are not hitting now? Are you involving everyone on your sales team with regard to brainstorming on this issue? What hidden talents do your sales team members possess that you are not aware of? Remember, even if you can still hit home runs, singles are a great supplement. 

2. Play as a team. One of the best ways to promote team play in the sales world is to clearly communicate what is going on. Are you effectively communicating business direction? What about sales team and corporate priorities? What about changes and shifts in strategy and desired execution? The better these items are communicated, the better the sense of team, and the weaker the strength of the grapevine.    

3. Be pragmatically optimistic. Believe you will win. Even if the game is difficult and defeat looks near, stay positive, dig in your heels, and be positive. Tip: demand positivism from every sales team member. Here are some tips for staying positive:
       a. Surround yourself with positive-minded people who believe in themselves.
       b. Surround yourself with can-do type people who believe in you!
       c. Distance yourself from negative people.
       d. Purposefully place positive thoughts in your mind.
       e. Push head trash from your mind. Studies have shown that 93% of the stuff we fear never comes to fruition; and we usually cannot influence the 7% that remains. 

4. Celebrate all victories (even small ones). The media bombards us with negative news. Granted, there are a plethora of challenges facing the economy and certain industries, but it is as if the news outlets seem to gain pleasure by piling all types of negativity upon us. Seek to break free. As sales leaders, we must counter-balance the negative spin and provide positivism and celebration of success. Ask your people how they want to celebrate – both large and small victories. Hint: don’t be afraid to be silly once in a while. 

5. Practice, Practice, Practice. When we were young our parents told us, “Practice makes perfect.” Nothing has changed. Whether it is sales, leadership, or something else, we improve with practice. As such, coaching and training are critical elements in growing your people and in keeping productivity skyrocketing.  

In closing, I offer a bit of pontification for you to ponder. The White Sox waited a long time for it to be their year. Do not be so patient. Remember: this is your year. Make it your year. Don’t start off this year by being intimidated or saying “we’ll get ‘em next year.” Will this year be tough? Maybe. Will it be your best year ever? Maybe. Control what you can control and live in the now. Don’t reminisce. Instead, dig in your heels, suck it up, play small ball if you must, and win! “Wait ‘till next year?” That’s for Cubs fans.  

Doug Van Dyke is a leadership, sales, and collaboration consultant, executive coach, and strategic planner. His book, Leadership Simplified, as well as audios and video are available at www.leadershipsimplified.com. To learn more about consulting services, coaching, and training, or to have Doug speak at your next event, contact him today at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or at 941-776-1121.

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