Is a 'Grinder' in Sales a GOOD thing?

The short answer is: Not really.

The long answer is a bit more complicated. Of course someone who works hard brings immense value to an organization. That doesn't need a name...it just needs to appreciated.

And before you start rolling your eyes, there's a difference between GRIT and GRIND. A grinder straps their helmet on and bangs out calls. Someone with grit finds solutions. They create sales when none is apparent. Some of the grittiest salespeople I ever worked with had the worst grinder stats of anyone on my sales team.

Here's why I bring this up...

Selling is a transfer of energy that comes from two sources: logic and emotions. - Gerhard Gschwandtner

I've talked to countless people 1-on-1 in the industry who were displaced by #COVID19 and every one of them felt some level of fatigue towards our job. They could be incredibly complimentary about the organization that let them go. And it wasn't that they didn't love sports. Or the idea of #sportsbiz. It's that they didn't love 'grinding' out phone calls, emails, etc..

What exactly are we training #sportsbiz sales reps if that's the attitude they walk away with? We are engaging with FANS who love our team. They should be joyous conversations...even if there are no sales involved. Because I'm sure that 'grinder' crap translates to our fans, too. When a rep is slogging through phone calls just to make phone calls, can they honestly pass joy and excitement to the potential fans? Those two things aren't just different...a lot of times they run in direct conflict with each other.

The best reps don't 'grind'. They energize fans. They joyously engage with fans. They love making phone calls, sending emails, executing meetings, etc. They love game nights BECAUSE GOOD GRIEF I GET TO ROOT FOR MY TEAM AND MAKE SALES!!! And they feel accountable to making sales to themselves AND their team because they are so appreciative of their opportunity.

There are a lot of sales jobs that should be a 'grind'...sports tickets should not be one of them. If you are grinding? Might be time to find a new line of work. That shit weighs on you. Flying is better than grinding.