CollegiateLuggage.com: Where facts and opinions share equal time.

Each year brings new excitement for every football fan. Maybe this year we will win it all. Enthusiasm and spirits are running high -- just like the beginning of a new year for a sales team. This year will be the year everything comes together and we beat our competition and move up the market share rankings.

While these feelings of excitement and optimism are great -- the reality of the season kicks in at some point. College football fans can feel the highs of victory and the lows of defeat. Playing a good game is not enough -- as every sales person knows -- second place is not victory. As a college football junkie, er, fan, watching TV during football season is a requirement for living. One day after eight hours of continuous game viewing, a question was posed: "What can a person learn or gain from all of this college football?" In answer to this question here are several lessons gleaned from watching football and look how applying these tips can make you a better salesperson.

Preparation:
As a salesperson, preparation gets you ready to make the sale and win the account's business. Always have a call plan, account plans and a personal business plan in place to reference. Anticipation is critical in your account relationships, knowing more about your customers gives you the advantage. Selling, just like college football, is a year-round activity. Do the little things today that win the big things later.

Practice:
Practice to become as perfect as you are able, then you can handle actual situations with confidence. Losers believe practice is for someone else. Then while face-to-face with a decision-maker they do not execute at a high level. Learn and practice the winning techniques -- it's your choice to be a winner.

Goals:
Know what you want and figure out what it will take to get you there. Winners take their goals and break them down into measurable units. Knowing what has to be done gives you an advantage over the "wing it" crowd. Having goals regarding measurements is similar to having an offensive and defensive game plan in football. A defensive plan is about retaining your existing customer base -- how do you keep your best customers? An offensive game plan is directed at selecting target customers and identifying how to win these accounts.

I have been a professional salesperson for over 35 years and finally have a good retort for all of us who consider a day spent watching collegiate football on TV a day well-spent. Now, thanks to the insights of Voss Graham, founder and CEO of InnerActive Consulting Group inneractiveconsulting.com I can finally justify my hobby as a sales aid. Thanks, Voss!

Postscript: Remember, the best way to show solidarity with your college teams is to travel with Swiss Army's collegiate luggage and business gear, available only through our company's website. That way, when you say "Go Team" you will really be going in style.