Don't Settle for Mediocrity

The 15 highest-paid players in the National Football League (NFL) are all quarterbacks. Why? Simply put, they control where the ball goes on the field. When the quarterback gets in the huddle, he doesn’t take a vote or give three plays he thinks might work. He leads decisively with authority and direction. His singular desired outcome is to get the ball into the end zone, and he leads the team down the field to accomplish this mission.

Running backs, wide receivers, linemen, and defensive backs are all very important, but there wouldn’t be points on the scoreboard without the leadership and direction of a quarterback. It is the quarterback who is ultimately responsible for getting the ball in the end zone and winning the game. Without that position, we wouldn’t have football. Therefore, because of their indispensable leadership, quarterbacks are the highest-paid players on the field.

So I stepped back and asked myself: if quarterbacks are the highest-paid players in their field, how can I be the highest-paid player in my field and you in yours? I have found that the principles that make a valuable quarterback in football are just as true for becoming the most successful player in sales and business.

Most professionals stop their efforts of improvement right before they experience massive amounts of success. They don’t realize that right on the other side of average are fields of green grass. They do what average people do—work at a good pace, maybe even a couple extra hours here and there. They serve their customers and treat them kindly, but don’t go out of their way to exceed their customer’s expectations. What sets the successful apart from the average is their willingness to go the extra mile. In other words, what differentiates high-income earners from their average-paid counterparts is their willingness to provide extraordinary value.

Quarterbacks go the extra mile, take the initiative, and go above and beyond to ensure their client gets into the end zone and says those three magical words: “That was it?” Becoming a quarterback is not rocket science, but it does take hard work. I’ve interviewed dozens of high-performing athletes and salespeople, and I’ve heard the same story every time: to be at your best, you must have a winning mindset, a “concierge level process”, and the execution of a closer. Let me introduce “Quarterback The Sale”. Let’s not reinvent the wheel, but rather do what your customers want most; connect, initiate and execute for them.

In the coming weeks, I’m going to be sharing some insights I’ve learned from top performers in real estate, lending, insurance, and yes, the NFL . Look for a new article every Tuesday!

P.S. This is an excerpt from my book, Quarterback The Sale. If you haven’t grabbed a copy yet, I’m currently giving away two of these books for the price of one! Head over to my website and grab your copies today!