What makes some sales professionals standouts and others merely competent? I'll give you a hint, it's not the products they are selling. Top sales professionals have an edge. They know how to develop sales presentations that deliver not only the benefits of their products, but the best of themselves to their audience.

Have you ever wondered why breakdowns in communication with people regularly occur in our daily lives? Have you found yourself thinking, "We speak the same language, but we're just not connecting" This sense of disengagement with another can cause stress, wastes precious time and embeds in our mind perceptions that may or may not be true. These disconnections certainly short-circuit real listening, sabotage client relationships and customer service and diminish sales, trust and productivity.

What is it about sales that attracts athletes? And what is it about sports that attracts salespeople to them in droves? The answer is very simple. Both activities involve many of the same psychological and mental challenges, processes and payoffs. In other words, we can get the same type of “high” or peak experience from a great sales presentation and close as we can from hitting the winning jump shot or sinking a 50 foot putt to win the company championship.