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Defense Wins in Baseball- Not Business Publish Date : 1/10/2006 5:29:26 AM Source : Bart Latimer
By: Bart Latimer First, I want to go on record as believing defense does, in fact, play a significant role in business. The protection of both tangible and intangible assets through legal maneuvers, insurance, safety measures, etc, is a necessary form of “defense” every person running a business must plan for and execute. Now that you have a feel of what I consider to be “defense” within an organization, how would you define the Sales and Marketing arm of your company? Most people, without hesitation, say, “Offense.” The aggregate gist of the explanation is something like this- “After all, I advertise in three different publications and send five Account Executives throughout the territory daily, so I am confident we get our share of the pie.” On the surface, the activity I just described does sound like offense. But, is it? It was offense when my Grandfather was selling. It was considered offense when my Father was selling. To be honest, as recently as when I began selling, the above scenario was considered offense. The key difference is that today’s markets are faster, more competitive, and ever-changing. Sales and marketing efforts can inadvertently and quickly turn into “defense” due to a myriad of factors such as JIT inventory practices, global competition, and geopolitical undercurrents. But, above all, change is the predominant element which makes a sales or marketing team play defense, rather than offense. A Real Life Example of “Defensive Selling” Affecting an Entire Industry This story is industry-specific, but we all have a similar story. Have you ever heard the term, “Paperless society?” Beginning in the late 1990’s, commercial printing paper mills began closing, consolidating, and doing everything possible to stay afloat. A group of people who for years prior had played offense, putting huge numbers on the board, earning great money, and having a certain degree of leverage with clients due to a healthy, firm market were now playing defense. Not only was the business itself in decline, but margins eroded, morale suffered, and the rut seemed to get deeper by the day. Sales conferences which were once motivational, fun, and full of success stories began to feel like a funeral for a much beloved industry. Under heavy fire, cries to management all carried a universal theme- “Our customers are suffering.” Which company began making money again? The one that decided they disliked the role of defense and changed positions. In hindsight, the solution is almost too simple. If the root problem was that customers were suffering, then helping them should have been the first action taken. Printers were fiercely battling non-print media such as the Internet. Later, they were dealing with an anthrax scare which all but snuffed out direct mail programs, which are usually a large portion of their revenues. The mill that decided they were tired of playing at the industry’s pace, and that they were tired of letting mere circumstance run their business did something about it. They went to media buyers (their customer’s customers) and made presentations on why print media is still superior in many applications. They educated the public on the relatively insignificant risk of anthrax due to heightened postal security. The industry as a whole was, and still is shifting immensely, but that same mill still stays ahead of the curve, and you can rest assured they have the ear and loyalty of the printing community. How to Play Offense Again in Your Industry *Always stay aware of your pace. Are you playing at your own pace, or at the pace of others? Be the pacesetter- that is what effective offenses do. Defense reacts to situations while offense creates situations. *Consistently ask yourself what you can do to better your customer’s business. This mindset puts you in more control of factors you have previously had little control over. Don’t be satisfied by simply selling to them… sell with them also. Pull a new piece of business through with them that your defense-minded competitor will never know about. Become an extension of their company, the mental impact alone is immeasurable. *Remember, the only difference between a great Sales Professional and a great consultant is the quota. Focus on delivering ideas to your customer. Follow up on them and help implement when necessary. Again, their success is your success if you help build it. *No matter what the element of change, whether it is internal, external, industry-wide, etc, do not become victim- minded. Define problems and solve them. Victims play defense, and they usually aren’t even any good at that. *Lastly, and possibly most importantly, the best way to play offense is by coaching offense. Your organization will mirror your actions. The more offense-minded the coaching staff is, the more offense the team will play. I can’t tell you who will win the World Series this season. However, I can assure you that any winning team in business plays more offense than his competitor. If you want a more printable and concise version of this story… Proactive beats reactive every time. About the Author Bart Latimer is a management consultant in Atlanta, Georgia. After 11 years with a Fortune 100 company, he now uses his sales, sales management, and managerial finance experience to help other businesses improve their bottom lines. |
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