Hitting targets

In the sport of archery (a hobby of mine) shooting consistently matters more than an occasional “bullseye”. There are different types of archery and the distance, position and size of the target varies, so an archer has to use both skill and judgement to shoot a winning score.

High scores come from regularly hitting the middle of the target and you build consistency through repetition and lots of arrows. Practice helps archers learn to limit the variables. Your breathing, where you put your feet, your focus, how you draw and release the string all influence how the arrows leaves the bow and hits the target as much as where you aim.

Then there’s archers paradox.  Every arrow bends and flexes as it leaves the bow, adding to the difficulty.

Shooting a bullseye doesn’t make you the new Robin Hood. When it comes to knowing how well you’re shooting, archers talk about “groupings” (how the arrows are gathered on the target). Bullseye’s are special and worth celebrating, but a tight grouping means more in the long run.

Professional selling resembles archery in many ways. We prepare, practice, try and learn from each other. Winning a big contract is fantastic and deserves celebration, but winning consistently requires you to recognise your own strengths/weaknesses and work on improving them, because your competitors are doing the same.

There are lots of sources for technique, which are evolving just as your customers and competitors evolve. It’s one thing to know the techniques, but quite another to deliberately use them consistently.

Committing to practice and making a habit of good technique means you’re more likely to be on target when it matters.