What Do Quarterbacks and Business Owners Have In Common?
What Do Quarterbacks and Business Owners Have In Common?
How are you doing as the QB of your team (i.e. your company)? How do you measure up against all those other QBs (i.e. business owners)?
One of the key roles a QB plays for his team is to “read the defense” and adjust accordingly. The QB already knows what play has been called, what personnel he has on the field, the weather conditions he is facing, and the stage of the game (i.e. 1st Quarter vs. 4th Quarter, leading vs. trailing, etc.), but if he doesn’t read the defense properly, a lot of bad things can happen.
The opposing team’s defense (i.e. your competition) is constantly trying to stop your team from advancing. And they don’t make it easy. They disguise the things they are doing to confuse you or they’ll pretend that they are going to do one thing and then they’ll do another. All in an effort to stop your team.
This is where the hours of preparation by the QB and the rest of the team come in. You’ll be hard pressed to find a quarterback at any level of football who just goes out and “wings it” come game time. Have you done your homework (i.e. market research) to be sure you put your team in the best position to succeed on every play?
Let’s pretend the QB has called a long pass play but the defense is showing that they’re going to blitz. If the QB and his teammates don’t notice the blitz coming and continue with the play, chances are the play will end up with a negative result. It could wind up in a sack, fumble, interception, or an incompletion instead of the desired result which would have been a big gain for a first down or perhaps even a touchdown.
If you continue to simply call plays (i.e. strategies) in a vacuum based on what you think will work and leave no wiggle room to adjust based on what you see in the marketplace, chances are your plays will fail more often than they will succeed. Oh, you will occasionally have plays that work, but if you aren’t in tune with the market (i.e. the defense) you may not be sure why they did or didn’t work.
How good are you at recognizing what the defense (i.e. your competition and the market) is doing? What about the rest of your team? If your market is throwing a blitz your way and you recognize it but your teammates don’t, chances of success will decrease significantly. Just like the QB will get his receivers, running backs, and linemen all on the same page, it’s up to you as the owner of your business to get your team on the same page as well.
So how do you do this? It starts with getting your teammates (i.e. employees) involved. Here are some things you should be doing to improve your effectiveness at the QB of your company:
1. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate: this must be important since I said it three times! The best QBs are the ones you see constantly communicating with his teammates. It starts with the huddle, but continues as they approach the line of scrimmage and are preparing to snap the ball and also continues once the play has started. Communication includes both verbal and non-verbal signals.
2. Get Others Involved: a good QB knows that he doesn’t always have all the answers. It’s key for you as the QB of your company to ask others for their input and actually use it!
3. Praise In Public/Criticize In Private: everyone likes to know how they’re doing. Just be sure you tell people at the appropriate time. If someone makes a great play (e.g. does something wonderful for a customer), make sure everyone knows about it. If someone runs the wrong route (i.e. loses a new potential piece of business), pull them aside and away from the rest of the team to talk about it vs. doing it in front of the rest of the group or in the media (i.e. in public).
4. Share Information: keeping the knowledge of how to beat the defense (i.e. your competition) to yourself isn’t going to do anyone any good. If you discovered something during film study (i.e. market research), be sure to let the rest of your teammates know about it so they can factor it in as they prepare for the game as well. Who knows, maybe they saw the same thing and will have a different take on it. Heck, you may even be wrong! The key is to get everyone thinking the same way as it relates to continuing to gather and share information.
We’re big believers in keeping things simple. If you do just these handful of things well on a consistent basis, chances are your team will win more games (i.e. make more profit) than they lose on a regular basis. Isn’t that the point of this game in the first place? To win (i.e. make profit)! It’s easy to lose sight of that fact sometimes!
What Do Quarterbacks and Business Owners Have In Common - To learn more about this author, visit Adam Sonnhalter's Website.
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It’s that time of year when there is a lot of football on TV. Everything from college bowl games to professional playoffs. No matter which games you watch, it quickly becomes evident which team’s quarterback (i.e. “QB”) is better than the other, and usually that is the team that wins the game.
How are you doing as the QB of your team (i.e. your company)? How do you measure up against all those other QBs (i.e. business owners)?
One of the key roles a QB plays for his team is to “read the defense” and adjust accordingly. The QB already knows what play has been called, what personnel he has on the field, the weather conditions he is facing, and the stage of the game (i.e. 1st Quarter vs. 4th Quarter, leading vs. trailing, etc.), but if he doesn’t read the defense properly, a lot of bad things can happen.
The opposing team’s defense (i.e. your competition) is constantly trying to stop your team from advancing. And they don’t make it easy. They disguise the things they are doing to confuse you or they’ll pretend that they are going to do one thing and then they’ll do another. All in an effort to stop your team.
This is where the hours of preparation by the QB and the rest of the team come in. You’ll be hard pressed to find a quarterback at any level of football who just goes out and “wings it” come game time. Have you done your homework (i.e. market research) to be sure you put your team in the best position to succeed on every play?
Let’s pretend the QB has called a long pass play but the defense is showing that they’re going to blitz. If the QB and his teammates don’t notice the blitz coming and continue with the play, chances are the play will end up with a negative result. It could wind up in a sack, fumble, interception, or an incompletion instead of the desired result which would have been a big gain for a first down or perhaps even a touchdown.
If you continue to simply call plays (i.e. strategies) in a vacuum based on what you think will work and leave no wiggle room to adjust based on what you see in the marketplace, chances are your plays will fail more often than they will succeed. Oh, you will occasionally have plays that work, but if you aren’t in tune with the market (i.e. the defense) you may not be sure why they did or didn’t work.
How good are you at recognizing what the defense (i.e. your competition and the market) is doing? What about the rest of your team? If your market is throwing a blitz your way and you recognize it but your teammates don’t, chances of success will decrease significantly. Just like the QB will get his receivers, running backs, and linemen all on the same page, it’s up to you as the owner of your business to get your team on the same page as well.
So how do you do this? It starts with getting your teammates (i.e. employees) involved. Here are some things you should be doing to improve your effectiveness at the QB of your company:
1. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate: this must be important since I said it three times! The best QBs are the ones you see constantly communicating with his teammates. It starts with the huddle, but continues as they approach the line of scrimmage and are preparing to snap the ball and also continues once the play has started. Communication includes both verbal and non-verbal signals.
2. Get Others Involved: a good QB knows that he doesn’t always have all the answers. It’s key for you as the QB of your company to ask others for their input and actually use it!
3. Praise In Public/Criticize In Private: everyone likes to know how they’re doing. Just be sure you tell people at the appropriate time. If someone makes a great play (e.g. does something wonderful for a customer), make sure everyone knows about it. If someone runs the wrong route (i.e. loses a new potential piece of business), pull them aside and away from the rest of the team to talk about it vs. doing it in front of the rest of the group or in the media (i.e. in public).
4. Share Information: keeping the knowledge of how to beat the defense (i.e. your competition) to yourself isn’t going to do anyone any good. If you discovered something during film study (i.e. market research), be sure to let the rest of your teammates know about it so they can factor it in as they prepare for the game as well. Who knows, maybe they saw the same thing and will have a different take on it. Heck, you may even be wrong! The key is to get everyone thinking the same way as it relates to continuing to gather and share information.
We’re big believers in keeping things simple. If you do just these handful of things well on a consistent basis, chances are your team will win more games (i.e. make more profit) than they lose on a regular basis. Isn’t that the point of this game in the first place? To win (i.e. make profit)! It’s easy to lose sight of that fact sometimes!
What Do Quarterbacks and Business Owners Have In Common - To learn more about this author, visit Adam Sonnhalter's Website.
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website |
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Casey GollanCasey Gollan, Business Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Add $1 Million to $10 Million in the next 1 to 3 years. Since 1996 Casey has to added hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses. Watch a free video see client results Business Coaching website. - Visit Casey Gollan's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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