Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine MOMENTUM September 2019 | Page 26

FROM THE BUSINESS COACH MIKE HILDERBRAND, BS, MBA, CBC ActionCOACH of Galveston [email protected] www.galvestonbizcoach.com Football Basics for Business F all is here again and all eyes are on the coming football season. In coaching business owners, I have always made heavy use of sports analogies to illustrate key points applying to their businesses. Thinking outside the box like this generally helps put business issues in a different perspective and gives new life to previously rejected solutions. How’s your favorite (business) team doing this fall? Are you completing pinpoint passes to prospects, making bone jarring tackles of economic conditions and marching down the field to the cheering throngs of your customers? Or are there a few too many fumbles? Maybe your defense is a little soft in the middle and the offense isn’t moving the chains often enough. Fantasy football is fun but there is no fantasy in the game of business. So, let’s think of your business in terms a football team - broken down by the Offense, Defense and Special Teams. Every game starts with a kickoff, so let’s look at Special Teams first. The key to your success is planning. Before every game the head coach sits down with his key assistants and advisors. They set the goals and action plans for the next game. When do you set these initiatives for your business? Just like a football team, there should be a regular, systematic planning process for your business. Also, who is on your team? Do you have the right staff in place to make the plays? Or if you have a gap maybe you need to make changes in your roster. What about your Defense? Can they stop bad things from happening to you? A good defense in business can be focused on three fundamentals. First, are you getting good financial information and other operational data to make decisions during the game? You don’t want to wait until the 4th quarter to 24 MOMENTUM find out you’re three touchdowns behind. Secondly, are there good systems in place so your team doesn’t drop the ball? Remember SYSTEMS Save You Stress, Time, Energy and Money. Next, are your team’s training table and conditioning preparing them for success? Keep training even in tough economies! Lastly, what’s a great team without an exciting, productive Offense? First, is your marketing sputtering? If you’re not getting first downs (testing and measuring), then it’s time for some new plays. Maybe a new referral system or a great offer on that direct mail piece will score more points. Secondly, is your sales process still playing the single wing offense? Try targeting better prospects with better scripts and measure our conversion rates. Finally, don’t forget those people who are currently buying your tickets and luxury suites. Find one meaningful perk for your current clients today and keep them filling seats for seasons to come. So, where will your team be with a little less pre- game hype and little more focus on those three areas? Implement a new strategy or focus on improving a current one on your Special Teams, Defense and Offense and your chances of your business playing in the Super Bowl this season improve dramatically.