3 Options You Have to Become a Relentless Sales Leader 

Book Review 7/25: I don’t care what anyone else thinks about me!

It’s a statement that everyone says, but very few emotionally live. After reading the book Relentless by Tim Grover, I’m convinced that Grover is one of those rare individuals that truthfully doesn’t give a damn about what you think of him  - he gets results and that’s what matters. Are you familiar with Tim Grover? I wasn’t, but now he has my full attention.

Have you ever heard of a guy by the name of Michael Jordan? How about Kobe Bryant or Dwayne Wade? Well, Tim Grover is their personal trainer and he focuses on the mental side of their development more than the physical. That’s right, the absolute best of the best in the world have a personal mental coach that helps them achieve the highest level of success, and then pushes them to go even further.

Grover has devised a three tiered system to describe and categorize distinct types of competitors: 

1. Coolers
2. Closers
3. Cleaners

He goes into detail about these distinct groups throughout the book, but I will do my best to give a brief description of each.

Coolers are those who fall in line, likes to take a linear path towards achieving their objectives, and is a valuable but very replaceable part of the team. They are not a linchpin.

Closers can handle a lot of pressure and perform in situations they have prepared for, but they are uncomfortable when faced with an unexpected scenario. When things are going well a closer thrives, but he folds when any type of adversity arises. Closers love the notoriety they receive for their accomplishments, but at the end of the day, they will choose financial security over winning, taking risks, or attaining massive personal success.

Cleaners strive for a level of success that very few people are willing to attempt to achieve. Coolers are so laser focused, and so committed to their goals, that it causes them to be misunderstood by their peers. Cleaners want it this way because they don’t give a damn what you think. Cleaners are the people we revere and idolize in our society. According to Grover, we all have the ability to become a cleaner but we are too afraid to get dirty to realize our true potential.

Now, let's apply this to leadership and coaching in business. Here are three takeaways from Relentless that apply to sales coaching and leadership: 

Are you a cooler? 

A cooler is a front-line leader or senior leader that is very good at management. When it comes to the systems, tools, and processes that need to be in place, they are at the top of their game. They know their product and industry inside and out and they are always there to help those on the team with any type of deal coaching they might need.

However, when it comes to building strong relationships with those on their team, or challenging status quo, they leave a lot to be desired. Rarely are coolers helping their sales teams achieve higher levels of success. They are easily replaceable.

Learn about the effect demotivating managers have on sales in this whitepaper

Are you a closer? 

A closer is a front-line leader or senior leader that is very good at management, but also has strong relationships with each person on their team. They spend more time pro-actively coaching and developing their sales team than a cooler does and their teams sell more as a result. Closers get performance from their teams, but if given the choice between being liked or being respected, they will choose being liked.

Learn how to apply positive pressure in this resource

Are you a cleaner ?

A cleaner is a front-line leader or senior leader that always gets results. They possess all the qualities of a cooler and closer but they take it a step further. Cleaners are not afraid of being a catalyst for change or disruption. Cleaners care more about how you will view their impact on your career 10 years down the road versus how they are making you feel right now. 

Cleaners are about execution and they have a healthy understanding of WHY they are in the role — to help you not only hit, but exceed your number. They make decisions that are right for themselves, the company, and the client even if it means they will initially get a lot of push back. Cleaners get discretionary effort from those on their teams and they outperform all other leaders in the company.

Learn more about what high performing managers do differently in this resource

This book made me uncomfortable and I’m grateful for it. It forced me to assess my competitive nature and I realized that I fall somewhere between a closer and a cleaner  -  I’m not sure yet how this makes me feel. However, the greatest lesson I took away from this book was that the people who are the absolute best at their craft, are the people that are constantly refining their skills and seeking out coaches to help them go to levels they can’t get to on their own. Seeking out a coach and working on your mental skills is a sign of strength not weakness.

Always developing our minds and improving our mental state is the key to becoming relentless!