Don’t practise till you get it right, practise till you can’t get it wrong!

Former Springbok rugby captain, Corné Krige, was a hard-working and motivated openside flank who made his test debut in 1999 after having fought his way back from career-threatening knee and hand injuries.

A natural leader, he captained the Springboks Corné South Africa 18 times including the World Cup in 2003. SalesGuru spoke to him to find out more about motivating a team to be more competitive.

In rugby you work as a single unit to overcome all different kind of obstacles thrown at you by the opposing team. Team work is important and every player has a fixed role with specialist positional skills. How would you relate this to a sales environment?

In order for a rugby team to win every individual member of that team has to perform well on match day. It is vital to identify every member of that team’s weaknesses and strengths and to know that the players will look out for each other. The same principles apply to a sales team and only if they work together will they achieve peak performance.

Preparation is everything. The team works very hard to deliver what is seen in 80 minutes. How important is preparation and how would you relate this to business/sales?

Preparation is hugely important as it gives you confidence. Don’t practise till you get it right, practise till you can’t get it wrong! Remember to focus on physical and mental preparation. In rugby you have to visualise what you want to do in each scrum and line-out so before you go out to your next sales meeting take the time and visualise what you want to say/achieve during that appointment.

Doing your best. What advice can you give about pushing yourself that final little bit, even when you physically and mentally have nothing left to give?

In sport the team who wants it the most is the one that walks away with the trophy. Keep on phoning.  If you have to make ten calls to get one meeting persist until you get it. Stickability and determination is a major asset! Being disciplined will help you focus, while hard work and meticulous planning will ensure that the results will come your way.