American football is a very popular sport in the US played between two teams of eleven players each.  The aim of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the opposing teams end zone.  One team is in offence trying to move the ball forward and score, while the other team is on defense, attempting to stop them from doing so.  The offence can advance the ball by running with it or throwing to a teammate, while the defense aims to tackle the player with the ball or disrupt their passing attempts.  Each team has a set number of “downs” to move the ball at a specified distance in the pitch.  If the offense fails to achieve the required distance within the allotted “downs”, they must give possession of the ball to the opposing team.  In order to gain advantage and outscore the opponent, various strategies and plays are utilised.

As far as Sales is concerned, it is mainly a process/cycle that may be initiated with an opportunity, such as a lead, and conclude with either winning or losing the deal.  In essence though, Sales is a series of commitments made by both the salesperson and the customer. The salesperson commits to understanding the customer’s needs, providing information about the service/product, addressing concerns so as to close the sale.  The customer, on the other hand, commits to considering the product/service, engaging in discussions, asking questions, and eventually making a purchase decision.

Throughout the sales process, both parties make smaller commitments that build trust and move the sales process forward. These commitments may include scheduling a meeting, making a presentation, agreeing to provide more information, participating in a product/service demonstration, making an offer or negotiating terms and conditions. Each one of them is essential in the sales process as it represents progress, signalises interest, and establishes a sense of accountability between the salesperson and the buyer.

In an analogy with American football, every commitment that is made from the customer’s side, helps us to advance and “gain meters” in the imaginary Sales field, just like moving the ball forward in the real pitch.  So, we need to remind ourselves that from the very start of the Sales cycle, we must have a plan that will help us to gain commitments, small at first, which may lead to the biggest of all, which is to close the deal in our favour and make the sale. 

If we are to be successful as sales professionals, we need to understand the importance of effectively managing commitments and consistently working towards mutually beneficial outcomes. Therefore, we should focus on building relationships, establishing trust, and delivering value at each stage of the sales process to ensure that commitments are honoured and ultimately result in a successful sale, or a “Touchdown”, if we are using American football terms.