Athletes Train for Success. So Why Don't Companies?
- Kevin Wash
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
With Wimbledon getting underway, I found myself thinking about something that has always fascinated me.
Have you ever looked at the support team behind an elite tennis player?
One athlete. Up to eight specialists.
A coach, fitness trainer, physiotherapist, nutritionist, psychologist, hitting partners, performance analyst, recovery experts... every aspect of performance is covered. At first glance it seems excessive, until you remember what's at stake. Millions in prize money, sponsorships, rankings and careers depend on marginal gains.
Every detail matters.
It's not just tennis.
Formula 1 drivers arrive at a race weekend backed by teams of 60 to 100 specialists. Engineers, strategists, mechanics, data analysts, performance coaches the list goes on. Every conceivable variable is managed because success is measured in fractions of a second.
Professional golfers often have teams of six to eight people supporting every part of their game.
National football teams can travel to a World Cup with support staff numbering 40 to 60, covering coaching, medical, nutrition, psychology, analysis and logistics.
Elite sport understands one simple truth:
Performance doesn't happen by accident. It is built through investment in people.
Now compare that with many sales organisations.
A typical structure might look something like this:
One sales manager responsible for eight or more salespeople.
One training manager supporting anywhere from 30 to 50 salespeople.
Limited coaching.
Minimal ongoing development.
Targets that become increasingly ambitious every year.
When results fall short, what often happens?
The manager is replaced.
The sales team is restructured or replaced.
New targets are issued.
Rarely does anyone ask whether the business invested enough in helping its people succeed in the first place.
Imagine if businesses approached sales performance the same way elite athletes approach theirs.
Instead of asking, "Why aren't they performing?" they asked,
"What support do they need to perform at their best?"
What if coaching wasn't reserved for struggling performers?
What if continuous learning became part of the culture rather than a once-a-year training event?
What if managers were trained and had the time and resources to actually develop people instead of simply monitoring KPIs?
Elite athletes don't wait until they lose before investing in their support team. They invest first because they know sustained success depends on preparation, development and continuous improvement.
Businesses should think the same way.
The highest-performing organisations don't see training as a cost.
They see it as a competitive advantage.
At VOS, we've helped organisations unlock that advantage through award-winning sales, marketing and customer support training programmes.
We may not need a Formula 1-sized pit crew, but if you're looking to get your business onto the podium, we'd love to help.
Written by Kevin Wash / VOS Consultants
