The Practice of Practice

When we look at top athletes or musicians, we see the years of intense, focused practice behind their exceptional abilities. The same is true for sales - deliberate practice is essential for those aiming to not just meet targets, but to truly exceed quotas and drive growth.

You might think - ‘deliberate practice for sales? Really?’

But let’s look at why this is so important for sales professionals & company bottom lines.

Traditionally, sales has been viewed as an innate skill - a mix of charisma, quick thinking, and maybe some luck. However, this underestimates the complex abilities that exceptional salespeople actually possess. It also discounts the potential returns from honing these skills through deliberate practice.

What is deliberate practice?

The Rules:

1. Focus on one thing only. 1 skill or even part of 1 skill (no more).

2. Practice takes place in a safe setting, not on live calls. Safe does not mean easy, it means able to fail without consequences.

3. IMMEDIATE, as in right fudging now, feedback. Feedback that comes at a later time, is not impactful.

4. Go again.... ASAP. Put yourself right back in the situation and run it back (as they say in sportsball). If you do not have them implement the feedback, well hell, don't tell 'em in the first place.

Now, let’s talk ROI, because that’s the language businesses understand. Deliberate practice directly impacts a salesperson’s effectiveness, leading to improved conversion rates and increased deal sizes. I can pull countless anecdotes from my own experience where sales teams, post-deliberate practice programs, have outright outperformed their previous benchmarks.

In an Aberdeen Group study, organizations with strong sales enablement strategies improved their team quota attainment by over 32% compared to others.

Think about a sales force that consistently practices and refines their approach to prospecting, presentations, and negotiations. They are constantly sharpening their saw. These are the top performers who identify customer needs more accurately and forge stronger relationships. This leads to fewer lost opportunities, more customer retention, and higher sales - all increasing the ROI.

We practice all of the time on our live calls! -I call BS.

Moreover, this approach fosters an organizational culture of learning.

Not only does it retain talent, but it attracts top performers who value professional development. And there’s a clear link between elite talent and stellar financial performance.

As Anders Ericsson said:

“Deliberate practice isn’t about fulfilling your potential - it’s about building it, making possible what was once impossible.”

But deliberate practice isn’t just task repetition.

It requires a supportive environment where feedback is constructive, failure is seen as a learning opportunity, and there is foundational training to refine upon.

I’ve facilitated training where you can see it click for salespeople - objection handling transforms from a barrier into a skill mastered through repetition and strategy adjustments.

The impact goes beyond individuals, shaping how organizations strategize. Sales strategies become dynamic and grounded in reality because they are constantly tested and refined in the field.

A common objection is time - but consider this: the cost of not investing in deliberate practice is far higher. Lost deals, longer sales cycles, and impacts on morale can cripple performance more than taking the time to practice.

Deliberate practice isn’t just about ROI - it’s foundational for building high-performance sales teams. As sales enablers, driving this transformation is crucial.

5 Practical Ways to Implement Deliberate Practice:

1. Set a consistent cadence for practice - weekly role-plays, call reviews, etc. Repetition is key.

2. Build in a feedback loop - from peers, managers, self-reviews. Constant feedback is vital.

3. Identify skill gaps and create tailored practice modules to address them.

4. Celebrate small wins to build confidence and sustain motivation.

5. Get vocal leadership support - their endorsement signals organizational priority.

Speaking of practice. A special invite

Jonathan Mahan is joining our live call on 4.9.24 to discuss the merits of practice, the science that gets it into your brainbone, and how you can start using 5 different models in your enablement program.

​Register here for free!

What are some of the ways you have brought deliberate practice into your programs this year?

❤️, Enablement