Sales Isn’t Gymnastics. It’s Football
Stop Chasing Perfection – Start Playing the Game
You know the type of sales advice I’m talking about.
The kind that floods your LinkedIn feed or shows up in neat little frameworks in sales books and playbooks. Advice that sounds like this:
“Just follow these 5 steps.”
“Use this pitch template — it works every time.”
“Perfect your technique. Stick to the script. Close the deal.”
Sounds good. Sounds easy. And yet… it rarely matches the reality of what happens out there in B2B.
Here’s the thing: a lot of this advice isn’t wrong. It’s just not always relevant - because it assumes you’re performing in a vacuum. It’s advice designed to make you a world-class gymnast.
But you’re not here to perform for a panel of judges.
You’re here to compete, adapt, and win.
You’re not a gymnast. You’re the captain of a football team.
And that changes everything.
The Gymnast vs. the Captain
Let’s make this crystal clear.
In gymnastics:
You perform solo.
Your routine is fixed.
You’re judged by a panel you can’t influence.
Your competitors? You don’t see them. You can’t respond to them.
All that matters is your execution.
Now let’s switch fields.
In football:
You lead a team - different roles, different skills, different agendas.
You have to read your opponent and adjust your tactics.
Your plan may work… until it doesn’t.
The game changes in real-time.
And as captain, it’s on you to keep the team focused, adapt to what’s coming, and still find a way to score.
Sound familiar? That’s sales.
Are You Even in the Right Arena?
This is the part that too many overlook: not every sales rep is playing the same game.
Your industry matters.
Your solution matters.
Your role matters.
Your competition, your customer, your internal team - they all shape the arena you’re in.
What works in transactional SaaS won't work in a 12-month + enterprise deal involving legal, IT, finance, and a C-level committee. What works for an inbound BDR doesn't work for an account exec breaking into a new vertical.
So the question is:
Are you preparing for the game you’re actually playing?
Or are you perfecting a routine that doesn’t fit the arena?
What It Means to Be a Captain in B2B Sales
When you approach sales like a gymnast, you spend your time polishing your deck, your pitch, your email sequences.
But when you step into the mindset of a football captain, your priorities shift:
You lead cross-functional teams (pre-sales, legal, product, delivery).
You navigate internal complexity - on both your side and the client’s.
You read the competitive landscape - and respond strategically.
You adapt - because the customer’s needs evolve and their priorities change mid-cycle.
You communicate, rally, and bring people together toward a shared goal.
Some of the biggest wins I’ve seen didn’t happen because we followed a flawless plan.
They happened because we recognized when the game was changing - and had the guts and agility to change with it.
Final Whistle: Rethinking Sales Success
Here’s what I’ve come to believe after years in the field, across industries and continents:
Success in B2B sales isn’t about sticking the landing.
It’s about reading the pitch, adjusting the play, and leading your team.
So my advice is simple:
Stop chasing perfection.
Start playing the game.
Because in the end, no customer is waiting to give you a 10.0 score.
They’re looking for someone who can help them win - even when the rules change mid-game.
If this hit home for you - forward it to someone who’s still trying to perfect their routine. Or just reply to this email and tell me what game you’re playing right now.
Until our next post - keep playing smart.
— The B2B Specialist