However, there were intriguing speeches that came from motivational speakers Gary Bertwistle and Olympic Bronze Medalist Steve Smith, speeches that were delivered superbly and had genuine business value. So why do we need motivational speakers and motivational training courses? Who is qualified to deliver them? And why, in sales, is this vocation particularly relevant?

 

 

Steve Smith won an Olympic bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996; he is Britain’s most successful high jumper. Smith set up Raise the Bar to help companies with both training and motivational services. The speech that Smith delivered went beyond just sport. He understands business, so was able to speak to the audience from both a commercial and sporting point of view

Raise the Bar has other speakers from fellow athletes Roger Black MBE, Kriss Akabussi MBE and Sally Gunnell OBE, to Rugby World Cup winning coach Sir Clive Woodward, round the world yachtsman and adventurer Alex Alley, and Ashes winner Michael Vaughan MBE.

There is no doubt that these individuals are all in a prime position to motivate, but what do they have in common with the sales profession? All of them are goals driven, target driven, and have a zest for going up against the competition and winning.

The sales professional would do well to better understand the mindset of these individuals. Smith described the scenario of lining up against fellow high jump finalists from Cuba, where the athletes family have their passports taken away while he competes. Athletes from Yugoslavia, where the athletes would be at war if they were not competing. How were his motivations going to measure up?

 

 

Smith describes the pressures that sales professionals find themselves under, and equates this to competing in sport ‘Whenever you are in a pressurised situation, ask yourself the question, what are the things that you can control?’ he goes on to say,’…Firstly you can control your performance, and secondly you cannot control the outcome’

He also looks at focusing on your strengths rather than weaknesses, prioritising the 90% you are good at, not the 10% you are not good at. He uses Jonathan Edwards as an example “Jonathan did not fit the bill of your typical triple jumper. The typical triple jumper would have been strong and muscle bound, built for power, a noticeable weakness for the tall and slim Jonathan. He focused on his key strength of speed, believing that his reaction time off the ground would make the difference to his end performance. He was right; he still holds the world record of 18.29 metres or 60 feet.”

So, again, how does this apply to sales, Smith asks ‘…are you spending time and energy focusing on the things you could do better or are you, like the sporting elite, making the most of your strengths?..Play to your strengths and your performance will go from good to great.’

 

 

Gary Bertwhistle is also an athlete, running eight marathons including London, Boston and Las Vegas, but Gary speaks about mojo, losing and regaining our mojo, and why we need this to get to the top in sales. His focus is on getting our lives right outside of work. He believes that only by achieving this can we get it right in work.

He describes how the only place where people reach for nine or ten out of ten in performances is in the work place: “Any person who achieves outstanding things in any part of their life holds themselves to a standard that is a nine or better”. He makes the connection to whether we constantly look to achieve ten out of ten in all aspects of our personal lives, asking whether we are happy to be less than ten out of ten as a parent or less than ten out of ten in the bedroom!

 

 

Bertwhistle went on to describe how he and other business owners viewed the recession with a positive state of mind “I was working with an electrical engineering company in Perth whose CEO sent round a note to his team stating that his organisation would not be taking part in the recession. He also wrote a letter to the employees and their families stating the same message”

 

Bertwhistle also speaks about energisers - those who give you the energy, motivation, inspiration - and the effect they have on colleagues and customers. “Energisers are not only the top performers but they are also more likely to have their ideas considered, and put into action. As well as this they are able to better motivate others to act and listen to more from those around them. That is, others tend to devote themselves more fully to any interaction involving an energiser”.

Would this help us sell more? I think the answer is fairly obvious.

 

The obvious question is how do we become an energiser, how do we get our mojo back? Bertwhistle explains”… those with mojo doesn’t mean the big chest beaters or entertainers. Those with mojo bring themselves fully to any interaction. They can keep their attention on the people they are involved with at any given moment. In short, they are totally present in the moment”

 

 

In sales we face a different challenge to that faced by most other professions. We are face to face with the buyer, we compete directly for customers, we win, and we lose. Therefore by being reminded, being inspired by those who are or were at the top of their game in sport, we can understand the mindset that helps us to compete better and to win more.

For Gary Bertwhistle, there are some simple life skills, but for the sales professional it’s all about having mojo, being the energiser. If we can interact with our colleagues, our network and our buyers, we are sure to make more sales.

The motivational speaker is a reminder to the sales profession to keep on going, to keep competing and to keep energy levels for buyers. So yes, we do need motivational speakers, and yes, sales directors need to invest in this area. It will make an impact on the bottom line.