In most parts of North America, people are enjoying the last bit of the summer before autumn, the time of year that means daunting trips into the attic for winter coats and torturous school shopping sprees. For sports fans, this time of year means the beginning of football season. Football has a lot in common with sales, especially when it comes to the breakdown of time. Sales professionals probably shouldn’t be wearing pads and stiff-arming reps at competing organizations, but they should see the value of pausing during the heat of battle, and making necessary adjustments based on first half performance and the competition’s effectiveness. If you take the same playbook into the second half when you don’t like what is on the scoreboard, have someone evaluate you for a sales concussion.

Why The Second Half Is So Important

To understand why the second half matters so much, consider what comes before the second half: a half-time break. In football, this is the time when teams rest, analyze what happened in the first two quarters, and make adjustments as necessary. In business, similar events take place halfway through the year; mid-year reviews or department meetings are common for companies of all sizes. While some may view them as a time perfect for a surreptitious nap, in reality these meetings allow managers and reps to track progress and make adjustments to their sales plans and strategies as they see fit, before they begin selling efforts for the rest of the year.

Additionally, the second half matters tremendously because it is the last chance to impact the final result of the game or year. When the second half ends, the score of the game is final, just like a company’s annual numbers are finalized at the end of the fiscal year. Throughout history, many football teams have made second half comebacks. Consider the 2013 Indianapolis Colts: down 31-10 at halftime to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Wild Card game, the Colts rallied around their young star quarterback Andrew Luck and scored 35 points in the second half to come back and win the game by one point. By applying the same concepts football teams use to bounce back after halftime, you can help your sales team finish the year strong.

What Businesses Can Learn From Football Teams

What do the best football teams do to finish out the second half strong? Several things:

• Coaches step in and motivate players while also tweaking their playbook based on the results from the first half. In business, managers motivate their salespeople, letting them know it’s not too late for a strong year. This is where coaching becomes especially important. Companies also adjust to industry and economic conditions seen in the first part of the year by changing their sales plan. You might alter your prospecting strategy or work with marketing to come up with more appealing selling points.

• Football teams review what their opponents did in the first half to get clues about how they can adjust their strategy. In business, you do this by gathering intelligence about your competitors. Are you struggling while your competitors are flush with sales? You probably need to make some significant adjustments. On the other hand, if things are going well for you and you are beating out the competition, it is wise to stay the course.

• Players rest up and drink plenty of Gatorade so they can come out for the second half energized and ready to play. In business, you can energize your team for the second half with company events, sales contests, or by bringing in trainers. The right trainer can revitalize your sales staff and reinforce the message that the coach (or sales manager) is trying to get across. Sales training in the middle of the year can be just as powerful as a refreshing cup of Gatorade at halftime, although you should probably be wary of sales trainers that have program names like “Fierce Grape” and “Riptide Rush.”

Always remember that while it may be too late for your accountant who wants to reinvent himself as a standup ventriloquist, it’s not too late for a second half sales comeback. With the right coaching, a change in the playbook and variance from techniques that are not working, you can end the year strong – just like a football team’s comeback win after halftime. ASLAN Training is the perfect resource to help you develop talent, work on your prospecting strategies, and coach your team to maximum success professionally and personally. Contact us today to discuss the strategies needed get your team on the right field with a perfect game plan.

ASLAN for Life: Slowing down to evaluate your performance is critical outside of the workplace as well. So schedule some time with someone you trust this week to look at your performance with regards to family and friends and adjust your playbook if necessary.