“When they scored, I just looked at the clock, it was 2:01 & I smiled & told myself, they left too much time on the clock.” – Deshaun Watson

Having lived in Clemson until I was 15, I can’t help but comment on the Tigers’ win in the NCAA championship game earlier this month. After all, I found something to say last year when they lost. Let’s start with Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and his thoughts after Alabama’s go-ahead touchdown in the late fourth quarter. (See above, as tweeted by ESPN reporter Brett McMurphy.)

The obvious takeaway is Watson’s confidence. But consider the play that had just changed the lead again. Alabama was on the 30-yard line, with 2:20 remaining. First and ten, Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts took the snap, dropped back eight yards, found no one open and started downfield. If Watson is correct, and Alabama left Clemson too much time, then Hurts should not have scored on that play. But was that even possible?

A powerlifter in high school, Hurts looks like a fullback. After he opted to run this play and saw a clear path to score, how likely was it that he would slide into the turf somewhere within the 10-yard line? Not very. Yet what if he had? First and goal, Alabama could have held the ball tightly and run down the clock, scoring on any one of the next four plays. The Tigers would have had that much less time to score again and win the championship.

Stay Engaged, Watch the Clock

Later, I was talking the game over with a top salesman at a telecom services company. Could he find some lesson in this game for his own work? “Yes!” he said, right away. “Hold on to the ball.” His thinking was that you must stay engaged. If you can’t get or hold the attention of your prospects, someone else will.

Here’s another lesson: Timing matters. It was not enough for Alabama to go ahead 31 to 28 with 2:01 remaining. Likewise, dwelling on the superiority of your products or services may not always help secure a purchase order. That applies to sales presos and white papers, especially when the prospect is at the top of the so-called sales funnel.

You may want to press hard, beat up on the competition and “score,” but is it the right time? Unless your prospect is not only engaged but also ready to buy, you could end up with points on the board, but no big win. On the other hand, if you get handed an opportunity with limited time to deliver, be prepared to make the most of it.