Murray & Scott's Focus

A couple of intriguing sales stories emerged today.

Last night I was glued to the finale of the Masters Golf major. A gripping ending saw Aussie Adam Scott prevail in a thrilling play-off. It appeared that one reason for his elevation from serial grand slam runner-up over the past couple of years was down to ‘scheduling’.

He has picked his tournaments carefully lately;

“After breaking down and limiting his schedule two years ago to focus on preparation for the majors, Scott has produced six top-15 finishes in the last eight including twice being runner-up.”

Only going after those that he can win (or that put him in shape to land the ‘big one’) made the difference.

He has not played for playing’s sake.

And then there’s this news from tennis and Team Murray. He has a new man in charge of maximising his off-court revenue. Here’s one quote from the Indian branding star who refers to himself as a Pitbull, from an interview with The Times where he salivated at the prospect of filling up Andy’s space on his shirt’s left-arm;

“I’m not looking to sell him to 50 companies, but to five companies.

In all of the UK if he can’t be sold to five brands, then there is some disconnect. He is the greatest British tennis player ever.”

These two stories have something in common. They both exude focus.

Neither aspirant champion wants to go after just anything. They specifically seek that special something.

So many salespeople think managing their turf is about having a brimming funnel. Which can indeed be half the battle. But what is in that funnel? If it’s rubbish, if you’re spreading yourself too thin, if everything coming in means you’d be left with a cluttered un-themed mess, then why is it all in there in the first place?

Why think of the 50 deals you could win, when the real money comes from selecting the 5 that’ll change your life? Don’t chase 50 randomly. Truly commit to the 5 that’ll make a world-class difference to all concerned.