Don’t worry about Amsterdam
Good weekend? Get up to much? My partner Lynda and I cycled 270km from Twickenham to Amsterdam to raise money for my daughter’s school.
It was brilliant. Hot. Really hot. There were long, exposed stretches where the sun seemed determined to make every kilometre feel twice as long. Thankfully, there was plenty of laughter, some questionable singing and more energy bars than any sensible person should consume in a weekend.
You get a LOT of time to think on a bike. Somewhere between St Margaret’s and Amsterdam, I realised there were some striking similarities between long-distance cycling and sales.
Here are three things the ride reminded me of. Enjoy.
#1. Nobody sees the training
Crossing the finish line is the glamorous bit.
The photographs. The medal. The congratulations.
What most people won’t know is that six weeks ago Lynda had never even ridden using clip-in pedals.
For anyone who cycles, that’s a bit like learning to ski and entering a downhill race a month later.
Over the past six weeks she threw herself into training. Early morning rides before work. Longer weekend distances. Learning new skills. Building confidence. Slowly getting comfortable with something that initially felt completely unnatural.
By the time we approached Amsterdam, clip-in pedals were no longer the challenge. Even with the injury, she kept going and showed just how far she’d come.
Sales and business development work exactly the same way.
Confidence doesn’t suddenly appear on the day of the pitch. It comes from repetition. From trying. From getting a little bit better every week until the thing that once felt awkward simply becomes second nature.
Whether it’s picking up the phone to a prospective client, attending your first networking event or asking for a referral, confidence is earned through practice, not wishful thinking.
Try this: Ask yourself, “What’s my version of clip-in pedals?” What’s the one business development activity you’ve been avoiding because it feels uncomfortable? Start practising now, because confidence is built long before anyone notices.
#2. Just get to the next kilometre
When you’ve got 270 kilometres ahead of you, thinking about the finish line can be overwhelming.
Fortunately, you don’t have to ride 270 kilometres.
You only have to ride the next one.
Then the one after that.
Then the next.
Sales works exactly the same way.
Too many professionals become fixated on annual targets, huge revenue numbers or landing that dream client. They’re so busy staring at Amsterdam that they forget they first need to get out of St Margaret’s.
- The next introduction.
- The next follow-up.
- The next coffee.
- The next proposal.
- The next helpful article.
Momentum is built one small action at a time.
The best business developers rarely perform heroic acts. They simply keep moving relationships forward, one conversation at a time.
Try this: Every morning ask yourself one simple question: “What’s the next kilometre?” Not the next £500,000. Not the next client. Just the next meaningful action that moves a relationship forward.
#3. You never ride alone
Although cycling often looks like an individual challenge, this one certainly wasn’t.
Thirty-two parents from the school made the journey together.
Over two days there were punctures, aching legs, mechanical issues and moments where people simply needed encouragement to keep turning the pedals. There was always someone offering a snack, sharing a joke, fixing a bike or checking everyone was still together.
Then, just 15 kilometres from Amsterdam, Lynda injured her quad. By that stage she’d already ridden more than 250 kilometres, but giving up was a genuine possibility. Instead, the whole group rallied around. We slowed the pace, kept encouraging her and, together, got her over the finish line.
It was a brilliant reminder that nobody achieves something significant entirely on their own.
Winning major clients is exactly the same.
We often celebrate the relationship partner who signs the client, but behind every successful instruction is an entire team. Business development. Marketing. Finance. Knowledge. Assistants. Delivery teams. Colleagues making introductions. People working behind the scenes who rarely get the spotlight.
Individual brilliance might open the door.
But it’s the people around you who help you get over the finish line.
Try this: Think about your biggest opportunity over the next three months. Who could improve your chances of success? Bring them into the conversation earlier than you normally would. You might be surprised how much easier the journey becomes.
Chat to Tina by voice, when you’re between meetings, on the commute to/from work, or heading into something you’d rather avoid.
Final thought
Crossing into Amsterdam was an incredible feeling.
But it wasn’t because one person had ridden 270 kilometres.
It was because 32 ordinary people helped each other do something extraordinary.
The same is true in sales.
Don’t worry about Amsterdam. Just get to the next kilometre.
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