The nation has been clamoring with excitement watching the Olympic Games in Paris for the last week. It’s hard not to feel a sense of pride and awe watching the amazing athletes who have worked so hard to get there.
While we believe that every member of the Vertical IQ team is a winner, there is one person in particular who is kind of a big deal: our very own Olympian, Alex Rousseau! Alex was a standout member of the U.S. Olympic water polo team in both the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to his Olympian status, Alex also played water polo at UCLA before turning professional, playing on teams in Italy and France and traveling the world to compete in games and tournaments.
We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Alex to discuss what it takes to become an Olympic-caliber athlete and the parallels between his years of training to become a water polo phenom and the effort it takes to have a successful career in sales.
Q: How did you get started playing water polo?
Alex: I was always a swimmer as a child and did swim team in the summers when I was 8 or 9 years old. We moved to Santa Monica, California, when I was 12, and when I got to Santa Monica High School, my dad’s like, ‘You’re not allowed to play football; you’re going to get injured,’ so instead, I started playing water polo in 10th grade.
I graduated high school in 1985, and that summer, before starting college at UCLA, I made the U.S. Junior National 17U team. We went to Europe, South America, and Turkey for the World Championships.
I continued to make the National Team for 18U, 19U, and eventually made the men’s senior team, which I played for until 1996. It was an incredible experience representing the U.S. across the globe in international tournaments each year from 1985 until 1996.
Q: A lot of people play a sport, but what does it take to go to that next level — to become a professional or an Olympic athlete?
Alex: I think it definitely takes a constant desire to learn and a willingness to put in the extra work at all times. Somebody who truly loves what they’re doing is always willing to train, prepare, improve, travel, and do whatever it takes to play. They make their sport such a priority where you’re willing to put everything aside and be ultra-focused. Yes, some natural skill is helpful, but there has to be the passion to put in all the extra work. After training and playing in games for 40-plus hours a week, I’d still go play on days off just because I love it so much. When you’re 100% committed, and you’ve prioritized it so much, you’re ready to be at the elite level where you can really stand out because you’ve dedicated everything you have to your sport.
Q: How does playing on a professional sports team, as well as an Olympic team, translate to being on a team in the ‘regular’ working world? What skills are valuable in both settings?
Alex: Being on a sports team of any kind is about not only being a good athlete, but also understanding how you fit on the team — what your role is. In my years of playing water polo, there were potentially other guys who were physically as fast, as big, as talented as me, but maybe ultimately I was the one who was chosen for a team because I did certain things particularly well. For example, I was a left-handed player, so I knew that I complemented these other players. As a result, I really homed in on not just making the team but what role I had on the team.
It’s the same thing in the working world. For instance, being on a sales team, it’s important to understand your role — how you fit in on that team. Then dig into that role and hone specific talents or capabilities in a way that contribute in a meaningful way and benefit the team as a whole.
For example, as an accountant, banker, or financial planner, you might choose a particular industry to focus on and become a specialist in that niche. Maybe you decide you’re going to learn everything you can about physician and dental practices, and you become your team’s go-to authority for those clients or prospects. Gaining this type of industry expertise makes you an integral member of your sales team. But just as important, it enables you to add value to your client relationships when you can provide industry insights that are useful to a business owner.
This is what I love about the actionable, convenient, focused Industry Intelligence on Vertical IQ. It helps sales professionals quickly become experts on an industry’s operations, trends, challenges, and more, as well as understanding the local landscape of an industry. This knowledge can help them win, grow, and retain more relationships — benefiting their team and organization while also offering valuable guidance that can help the business owner succeed.
Q: A big part of your success in water polo was not only your passion for the game but your level of preparation. How does preparation in the sports arena relate to sales readiness?
Alex: In addition to training and understanding your role on a sports team, it is essential to have a good consistent process — a routine you follow every single time to prepare for a game. No matter where we played in the world, I had to be ready for the game — whether I had 10 minutes or half an hour or an hour — I had the same process for how to get myself ready to play. I knew what warmup to do and how to prepare in order to be ready no matter what the conditions were.
It is the same exact thing in sales. You should have a consistent routine — a process you follow every time in order to get yourself ready for the prospect call or the client presentation. And I’d argue that your sales readiness process should always include Vertical IQ.
For instance, when you have just a few minutes before walking into a meeting, always review the concise Prep Sheet for the business owner’s industry, or if you have a little more time to prepare, review the full Industry Profile. Make it a part of your routine to choose a few relevant Call Prep Questions to use in your conversation, and always print a timely industry news article to use as a value-added leave-behind.
I truly believe that consistently executing on my preparation process was a big contributor to my success as an athlete. And I’m equally convinced that consistently incorporating Vertical IQ’s Industry Intelligence into your sales call preparation process is a winning sales approach.
To learn more about how Industry Intelligence from Vertical IQ can be a winning solution for your sales team, contact us today!