Missing Orchestra Pieces

“So a football team is like an orchestra where plenty of people work together and if you lose one piece you might be able to still do it, but if you lose two then it becomes difficult.”

The reported assessment of elite-level football coach Jurgen Klopp. Remarks made in response to his club’s rollercoaster campaign that saw them relinquish their domestic crown yet scrape last-minute into next year’s Champions League.

He has dipped into this ‘the team is like an orchestra’ metaphor before.

You wonder how it might apply for a Sales pursuit?

In much of solution selling there is a team around the quota-carrier.

There are many a role their individual members can perform.

From opener to closer, level-seller, deliverer, technician.

Anyone that can help spread the net of the endeavour inside the prospect organisation.

Anyone that can lift some of the admin burden.

Anyone that can allay proof and mitigation doubts for the potential buyer.

Anyone that can be seen as authentic, trusted and a subject expert.

Anyone that can become a friend of the buyer.

If you don’t have one of these, then yes, you may prevail. But to miss two of them, well, like Klopp’s footballers, you too may fall short of your title.