Disclaimer: This article was written before the 2019 NFL season started
Are you in a fantasy football league yet? If you’re in the sales or business development industry, you may want to consider gathering your buddies and creating a league or joining a league hosted by some friends or coworkers. The popularity of fantasy sports has rapidly grown since it’s inception and the strategic benefits of playing the ever popular game are highly recommended (in my opinion) for sales and business professionals. There are five (5) tactics that a good salesperson can use to their advantage when playing fantasy football this fall. I’m not saying all salespeople should have a leg up on the competition but a GOOD salesperson should be able to hold their own in their league and potentially be playing for a title at the end of the year.
*My overall FFB stats are posted at the end of this article. Post your stats and profession in the response section*
- Negotiating.
Negotiating is a key part of the sales and business development industry and it’s a practice that takes time to learn and understand. A quality salesperson has learned how to approach negotiations, spent countless hours learning to read people’s cues, and read books (Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss. Highly recommended)on techniques. While fantasy football trades are often done via text, email and phone calls, negotiation skills can come in handy when targeting players or draft picks. A smooth talking negotiator can and should make trading part of their fantasy football arsenal. An inexperienced salesperson can use fantasy football as a training tool to test negotiation tactics and figure out what may or may not work.
2. Taking Risks.
The successful salesman/saleswoman is not afraid to take risks. They often take commission only or low base pay positions which puts taking home a steady income at risk. They’re willing to drive or fly long distances in order to meet with a high profile client or close a potential sale. They make cold calls and are tasked with building their own book of business, which terrifies the average Joe. This is why sales people are not afraid to make risky/rewarding moves in fantasy football when other members of their league wont. For example, if Ezekiel Elliot or Melvin Gordon continue to hold out hoping to cash in on extensions and BIG paychecks they may fall in the draft. They’ll both be risky picks but potentially rewarding beyond measure. Many will avoid these fellas but the salesperson sees the risk/reward as an opportunity to gain a competitive edge.
3. Finding Value.
A good salesperson can find value in products, services, and customers and capitalize on it. Similarly, in fantasy football, finding value is an essential part of the game. Searching for unlikely players who have untapped potential is one of the top ways to end up hoisting the trophy at the end of the year. In 2014 I picked up Odell Beckham Jr. off the waiver wire (he was hurt and no one had any idea he would be as electric as he was) and he carried my team to the title. Salespeople find and bring value through unseen deals and untapped customers. A quality salesperson should be no stranger to finding a hidden player’s/team’s worth. I’ve been victorious many weeks by building value through streaming defense and kickers. Likewise, I’ve closed many sales bringing a little extra value to the table by noticing an untapped market or hidden potential. If you want to learn to be creative and think outside the box when it comes to discovering value, fantasy football is an entertaining way to familiarize yourself.
4. Persistence.
Everyone knows salespeople are persistent. The reputation can be somewhat of a burden when pitching products or services. No one wants to be bombarded by the pushy used car salesman demanding you sign for the car RIGHT NOW. As I’ve learned over my 5 years as a sales professional, you do NOT need to be like that. You do however have to be persistent in your own personal way and form a relationship with your clients. Persistence means continuing firmly in a course of action. Successful salespeople are all too familiar with the word persistence, because to flourish in the sales industry it takes thick skin and a no quit attitude. Often times no guaranteed pay check means you work until you hit your goals. Hours can vary, your phone is always on, and you push yourself to grow and prosper. If you are or want to be successful in sales then you should join a fantasy football league this fall. Practice your persistent attitude to pursue trades, scour the waiver wire and fight for weekly W’s.
5. Running Numbers.
In general, sales people aren’t the premier candidates for keeping your books or running your numbers, but they know and understand where they need to be in order to be profitable. They constantly run numbers to ensure their gross margins are set up for success because otherwise they don’t get paid. Fantasy football is a similar beast that must be tackled. Running numbers is an essential part of figuring out who to play and when to play them. For example, there are some match ups where you have a middle of the road wide receiver who normally starts on your team but today he’s tasked with running routes against a top 5 cornerback. You may want to check the head to head stats and see how he’s done previously against that team and that CB specifically, and choose to play a generally less productive WR who has a more appealing match up. Running and comparing statistics is a similar chore to qualifying leads. It may seem laborious but can pay off tremendously.
I’m going on my 5th year of fantasy football and as we inch closer to the season I get more excited. It’s an outstanding way to itch your competitive spot you believe you may have lost, and it’s a fantastic way for professionals to further train themselves in the art of sales. In my honest opinion, all sales managers should require their teams to have a fantasy football league every fall. You’ll most likely find the top sales people will also be the preeminent fantasy footballer players. Winner gets bragging rights and maybe a little cash. Regardless, it’s a fun way to train your sales team and a bonding experience as well.
Cheers,
TS