If you’ve ever played golf, you know overthinking ruins a decent swing. Too many thoughts = Your ball in the forest.
When I first started playing golf, I was convinced I needed to fix everything at once. The pre-round YouTube video told me “Elbow here. Wrist there. Shift weight. Head Down. Stay balanced.” The more I tried to control, the worse I played.
That’s why I love this quote from Bobby Jones:
“You swing your best when you have the fewest things to think about.”
This changed how I approached the game.
My best rounds happened when I had two or three thoughts in my head: Easy Grip. Good Tempo. Keep my head down.
The same is true when we are trying to perform at a high level in sales. The people who struggle are usually thinking about too much:
- The script.
- The objection.
- Their tone.
- Commission.
- How they sound.
- What happens if this goes bad?
High performers have compressed their learnings into a few, highly leveraged ideas.
I call them “Swing Thoughts” Simple. Personal. Repeatable.
And the most rewarding part of this process… swing thoughts cannot be given, they must be earned.
You don’t get them from a training manual. You unlock them through reps, through enough conversations where you start to realize:
- When I slow down, conversations last longer.
- When I bring energy to the conversation, my tone changes.
- When I pause after a question, people open up.
And these become your swing thoughts!
Bobby Jones once said “Golf is the five inches between the ears.”
So let it be known:
“Sales is the five inches between the ears.” – Brock Baker
Brock Baker
