Like a lot of great golfers, many salespeople operate with natural talent. But even the best golfers, and the best salespeople, need training and coaching to refine their approach, stay consistent, and perform at an optimal level. This is where Sandler comes in, offering a structured, behavior-driven approach to selling and leadership. Clients tell me that taking a Sandler session is a lot like taking golf lessons from a pro, in that the real challenge comes after the lesson —in the real-world application of what you’ve learned out on the practice course.
Let’s explore a few of the powerful parallels between golf lessons and working with Sandler … because in sales, as in golf, why it’s just too easy to revert to old habits unless you commit to ongoing improvement.
The Big Lesson: Building Better Habits
When you sign up for a golf lesson, you expect to have a pro dissect your swing, grip, stance, and mental approach. That pro might adjust your posture or recommend new techniques that feel awkward at first, but are designed to improve your long-term performance.
Sandler takes a very similar approach. Whether it’s setting an agenda for a discussion with an Up-Front Contract, asking effective questions by using the Pain Funnel, or maintaining control of the meeting with the Negative Reverse Selling technique, Sandler offers a set of tools and behaviors meant to replace outdated, less effective habits. The initial discomfort is inevitable—just like a golfer might struggle with a new, better grip—but the key to both golf and sales success lies in embracing the discomfort that comes with learning and practicing new skills.
The Driving Range: Practice, Practice, Practice
After your golf lesson, the driving range becomes your lab. It’s where you practice the new swing mechanics, ensuring they become second nature. Golfers who don’t practice are prone to falling back into their old habits, especially when under pressure during a round.
In sales, your “driving range” is every call, meeting, or email where you can apply what you’ve learned in Sandler. Just as in golf, the repetition of new behaviors is crucial. Without practice, it’s easy to revert to old sales patterns, like pitching too early or failing to uncover a prospect’s true pain points. Like a golf swing, bad sales habits feel comfortable but won’t get you the best results.
Why in the world would you wait to practice until you were playing a real round of golf – one that counted?
On the Course: The Real Test
Then comes the real game. No matter how much time they’ve spent on the range, any golfer’s test comes during actual play. The pressure of the game can cause even an experienced golfer to fall back into their old swing when a tough shot arises.
Similarly, in sales, once you're in front of a live prospect, the pressure is on. The temptation to revert to old, more familiar sales tactics is high. You might start talking about features and benefits too soon, or neglect the questioning techniques you learned. The more practiced you are, the easier it is to stay true to your Sandler training under pressure.
Old Habits Die Hard
Why is it so easy to revert? In both sales and golf, we’re drawn to familiarity during times of stress. When a golfer faces a challenging shot, muscle memory can take over, and they revert to their old swing. In sales, we fall back into habits that feel comfortable but may not serve us well—like skipping the critical step of setting clear expectations with the prospect.
Reverting to old habits in both golf and sales can quickly derail progress you’ve worked hard for. In golf, reverting to a bad habit might cost you strokes. In sales, it could mean losing a deal or failing to establish a strong relationship with a prospect. Both disciplines require constant effort, self-awareness, and coaching to break free from old behaviors and embrace new, more effective techniques.
The Importance of Reinforcement
Sandler is designed with this challenge in mind. Sandler stresses the importance of ongoing reinforcement of the skills you’ve learned. Just like you need ongoing golf lessons or practice rounds, you need continual training and coaching in the best possible behaviors, attitudes, and techniques to support your sales career. . The Sandler methodology emphasizes reinforcement through role-playing, feedback, peer discussions, and practice to ensure that the new techniques stick.
Just like golfers return for lessons to refine their swing, top sales professionals regularly attend Sandler sessions to stay sharp. Ongoing reinforcement helps you avoid the temptation of reverting and ensures that the principles you’ve learned become ingrained in your sales process.
Mastering the Game
Both golf and sales require patience, discipline, and a commitment to continual improvement. Whether you’re swinging a golf club or closing a deal, the key to success is not in the lesson itself but in how consistently you apply what you’ve learned. Sandler, much like golf lessons, provides the foundation. But to truly master the game, you need to put in the work, practice regularly, and embrace and reinforce new techniques, even when it feels uncomfortable. Only then will you see lasting, meaningful improvement in your performance.
On the golf course or in the sales arena, measurable progress comes from pushing through discomfort and sticking with the techniques that support your goals, even when the pressure is on. For help with this, feel free to reach out! Our pros are standing by.
