I had my plans for Oct. 27 all mapped out. Throw on my late father-in-law Stan the Man’s lucky jacket from the 1993 World Series, catch Game 3 of the Jays-Dodgers on TV, and then polish up a speech on sales for the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association convention.
Of course, Game 3 was an 18-inning marathon. As the game stretched into Tuesday morning, and that APTA presentation was sitting untouched, it hit me like one of Vladdy’s bombs: the Jays’ playbook for winning baseball is built on the same principles as my sales playbook.
Their focus on team chemistry and grinding out at-bats from the top to the bottom of the lineup turned each game into a math equation. They got runners on base and advanced them any way possible.
Schneider walking. Clement with a double. Giménez getting hit by a pitch. Inch by inch, pitch by pitch, run by run.
It’s a winning formula in trucking, too.
Clubhouse chemistry
This season, the Jays did something radical. They ditched the rule that pitchers sit with pitchers and infielders with infielders. They mixed it up — veterans with rookies, catchers with outfielders. No silos. Players got to know all their teammates. They held each other accountable. They played for each other.
That’s what happens in a winning culture. And the more of that culture you have, the more games you win.
In sales, when account managers share intelligence with ops, when veterans mentor new hires without being asked, when everyone holds each other accountable for the customer experience, the whole team is going to make a deep run. That’s when you stop competing on price and start winning customers’ trust and 100% of their spend in the lanes you serve.
Stick to the playbook
During the playoffs, my son Patrick would text me before every move manager John Schneider made. He knew Barger was pinch-hitting before the Dodgers announced their right-handed reliever. Because the Jays had a playbook. One they built. One they trusted.
Sales is no different. You need a strategy. A plan. One built on getting on base and moving runners instead of chasing home runs. Every call, meeting, or small win moves a prospect a little closer to home plate, a.k.a. the first shipment.
Scoring chances
The Jays knew the more runners they had on third base, the more runs they’d score. Simple math.
A good sales system works the same way. You don’t know which prospect will close or when, but the more qualified runners you get on base, the more runs — a.k.a., first shipments — will eventually score.
Move’em around
Never step into the batter’s box without a plan to advance the runner.
In sales, that means having an agreed-upon next action. A commitment to do something for the customer in the future.
Maybe it’s a handwritten thank-you note, a terminal tour, or a Mr. Sub lunch. Or a quick text to check in on their daughter’s swim meet. It doesn’t matter what it is or when it happens. As long as it moves your prospect one base closer to home.
Plate that first shipment
Too many rookies walk away from a first shipment over a few bucks in margin. That’s “first-shipmentitis,” and it’s a deadly swing flaw.
The first load equals a run scored. Don’t make it about profit. Make it about progress. Get that customer across the plate. It’s a 1-0 lead, no different than a Springer home run. Step back into the box, because you’re still at bat.
Bust the slump
When the Blue Jays’ bats went cold in late August, they didn’t panic. They stuck to their system. They played for their teammates. And by October, they were literally inches away from a world championship. Ask IKF how close they came.
The trucking industry is in a slump. But the key to scoring runs — and shipments — is the same as it ever was. Stop swinging for the fences, hoping for a miracle. Stick to your playbook. Grind out at-bats and lean into your teammates. You’ll be hoisting the trophy when the market turns.
Spring training can’t come soon enough.
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