Before reading further, you should know that there aren’t many sports teams that I dislike more than the Miami Heat. Ok, now for the point of the story…
Earlier this month, the Miami Heat retired the jersey of Udonis Haslem. Organizations from all sports retire jersey numbers of their greatest contributors – those that made multiple all-star teams, former MVP’s, former scoring champions, etc. Haslem was none of these things.
In 20 years with the Heat, he never made an all-star team, he averaged only 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, and never had a triple double. Heck, he wasn’t even drafted. Out of college, Haslem had to go to Europe to make a professional team. The next year he tried out for the Heat and made the team.
So, why did they retire his number? As Heat President and NBA legend Pat Riley says, “Integrity, dignity, class, toughness, honesty, brings it every day, and I think that should be recognized.”
Haslem didn’t make many headlines, but many of his Heat teammates – Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O’Neal, and LeBron James to name three - did because of him. He was the glue that held them together and he performed the dirty work that no one else wanted to. He wanted to win, and that’s how he helped them win. During his tenure, the Heat won three NBA Championships.
So, what does this story have to do with sales? A lot … but follow me on this one.
Don’t consider Haslem a salesperson in my analogy, but consider the Miami Heat as a salesperson, and like their level of success depends on their players, a salesperson’s success depends on their actions. Everyone wants to be the big-shot closer or charismatic presenter, like the superstardom of Wade, Shaq, and LeBron. However, no one dreams of being the hardest working prospector or the salesperson who out-researches the competition – the dirty work of an Udonis Haslem. That’s an obvious conclusion, but it’s not the secret to the beauty of this story.
The beauty of the story is that while everyone wants to be Wade, Shaq, or LeBron, most people can’t. And while no one wants to be Haslem, everybody can. And those that do – those that embrace the hard work of preparation, cold-calling (in the right way), professional development, and persistence – those salespeople will be rewarded one day just like Haslem was when his jersey was raised up to the rafters with other greats.
If you want to be excellent, do the hard things that no one else wants to do … and watch your numbers soar!
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