It’s the final round at this year’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in England. The last five holes turned out to be among the greatest in golf history.

Dallas’ very own Jordan Spieth was 5 under for the last five holes to win his third different major tournament before turning 24, which he did only a few days after the Open.

Jordan’s acceptance speech when he received the Claret Jug was amazing!

He spent most of his time thanking all those involved: his fans for how great they were; how educated they were on the game of golf; for breaking the attendance record; the R & A (which governs the sport of golf) and the membership; his caddie, Michael (mentioning the trophy belonged to him too); his manager; his instructor; Matt Kuchar, the runner-up (and apologized to him for taking 20 minutes of extra play time on hole 13); and the volunteers and grounds crew.

Jordan never spoke about himself.

His speech was about everyone else and the team effort that played a role in his winning. Even though Jordan is only 24 and isn’t in sales – he provided us with a great lesson in sales that can take years for some to learn.

I believe there are three takeaways here for us in the selling profession:

1. Focus

Put your focus 100% on and about the customer. It’s natural to focus on the products and services we’re enthusiastic about, but until we understand the real needs of the customer, we shouldn’t present our offerings. Customers expect salespeople to ask the right questions to open a dialogue of possibility. We don’t know if we’re a fit for what they need, but we should have done enough homework in advance to know that they are at least a likely prospect. Help your customer focus on their issues, goals, and concerns – and then see if there’s an opportunity to meet their needs. YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/a4-lIuKqBY4?t=5s

2. Teamwork

The salesperson is the quarterback of the team. The salesperson is responsible for harnessing a company’s resources to help the customer. The salesperson is the main face to the customer. Whatever issues the customer has, they should feel free to call you, the quarterback. Jordan is the player, but he has incredible support behind him with his team and he relies on them. So should all of us in sales. Customers appreciate strong teamwork with their partners. It builds loyalty and trust. YouTube video: https://youtu.be/P44lBAbeVgA?t=5s

3. Appreciation

Jordan displayed his appreciation for everyone who was involved in the Open victory. He thanked them for the opportunity to compete and be involved.

We should do the same with our customers – thank them for the opportunity to support them with our products and services. Then show them through your attitude that you know it’s your honor to serve. Every customer will appreciate that mindset.

Doing what’s right by the customer will build trust and gain their confidence. And when they have a new need, guess who they’ll reach out to? Remember that over 90% of business is done through referrals. Customers share with others the great experiences they’ve had when buying. YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niT9mz2GrBI&t=5s

Jordan Spieth is in an elite class of golfers. By the age of 24, he has won three different major championships. With his focus on everyone but himself, and an attitude of appreciation, don’t be surprised if he wins several more. It will be the same when you apply these takeaways to your customers.

Good selling!
Stu