Executive Summary
Many salespeople believe confidence comes naturally to top performers. It doesn’t.
Just as professional golfers spend countless hours preparing before The Open Championship, the best salespeople rehearse the conversations, questions and objections they’ll face long before they sit in front of a prospect.
In this article you’ll learn:
What Can Salespeople Learn From The Open Championship?
Every July, millions of people watch The Open Championship.
We admire the incredible approach shots, pressure putts and dramatic finishes. We celebrate the winner lifting the famous Claret Jug.
What we rarely see is what made those moments possible.
The early mornings.
The hundreds of balls struck on the practice range.
The countless hours spent working on putting, bunker play and course management.
Recently I watched Rory McIlroy preparing for The Open. He wasn’t competing. He was preparing.
It reminded me of something I see repeatedly in sales.
The very best performers don’t simply turn up hoping to have a good day.
They rehearse.
They prepare.
They practise.
Professional golfers understand something many salespeople forget:
Confidence is built long before performance begins.
Why Do Most Salespeople Underperform Under Pressure?
Unfortunately, many salespeople treat live customer conversations as practice sessions.
They spend hours preparing proposals.
Very little time preparing themselves.
The first time they deliver a new introduction is during a real sales meeting.
The first time they ask a difficult discovery question is with an actual prospect.
The first time they deal with an objection…
…is when somebody objects.
Imagine if Rory McIlroy’s first drive of tournament week happened on the first tee on Thursday morning.
It would be unthinkable.
Yet many salespeople do exactly that every single week.
What Should Salespeople Practise?
From coaching hundreds of sales professionals, I’ve found four areas consistently separate top performers from everyone else.
1. Practise Your Opening
Your opening isn’t about explaining what your company does. It’s about giving your prospect a reason to keep listening.
Can you explain—in under a minute—why your organisation matters?
Not your services.
Not your certifications.
Not your technology.
Why should your prospect care?
2. Practise Your Discovery Questions
Great discovery isn’t improvised.
The strongest questions have already been thought about.
Refined.
Tested.
Practised.
The better your questions, the more valuable information you’ll uncover—and the more relevant your recommendations become.
3. Practise Handling Objections
Every MSP hears the same objections.
“We’re happy with our current provider.”
“We’ve got no budget.”
“Can you send me some information?”
None of these should ever catch you by surprise.
If you hear them regularly, your response should already have been rehearsed dozens of times.
Preparation allows you to remain calm instead of becoming defensive or reactive.
4. Practise Asking For Commitment
This is where many opportunities stall.
The meeting has gone well.
The prospect is engaged.
Everyone appears positive.
Then the salesperson finishes with:
“Let me know what you think.”
Instead, practise confidently asking for the next step.
Whether that’s arranging a technical workshop, introducing decision-makers or booking another meeting, progressing opportunities requires deliberate practice.
Does Practice Really Build Confidence?
One of the most common things I hear is:
“I wish I was more confident.”
Confidence is rarely the starting point.
Preparation is.
The golfers competing at The Open don’t suddenly become confident standing on the first tee.
Their confidence comes from knowing they’ve already hit that shot hundreds—if not thousands—of times before.
Sales works exactly the same way.
You won’t rise to the pressure of an important sales meeting.
You’ll fall back on the preparation you’ve already done.
How Can MSP Salespeople Improve Quickly?
You don’t need to spend six hours a day practising.
Even thirty minutes each week can dramatically improve your performance.
Role-play objection handling with a colleague.
Record yourself delivering your introduction.
Review your discovery questions before every meeting.
Practise asking for commitment until it feels natural.
Small improvements made consistently create a significant advantage over time.
Final Thoughts
There are no shortcuts to becoming exceptional in sales.
The best salespeople don’t simply work harder.
They prepare harder.
So before your next prospect meeting, ask yourself one question:
3. Practise Handling Objections
Because when pressure arrives—and it always does—you won’t perform at the level of your ambition.
You’ll perform at the level of your preparation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does practising sales really make that much difference?
Yes. Practising common sales scenarios allows you to communicate more naturally, ask better questions and respond confidently when objections arise.
What should I practise first?
Start with your opening, your discovery questions, common objections and how you’ll ask for the next step. These four areas have the biggest impact on sales performance.
How often should salespeople practise?
Like any professional skill, little and often works best. Even 20–30 minutes each week can significantly improve confidence and consistency.
Is role-playing worthwhile?
Absolutely. Role-playing allows you to test different approaches in a safe environment before using them with real prospects.
