Tag Archives: business game plan

Game Plan

A good friend left one professional football team and ended up playing for a different one for a couple of years before he retired.  The one he left had a consistent record of making the playoffs, winning championships, and having a waiting list for season tickets.

When he signed on with his new team, he found a locker room full of players more concerned about their paychecks than winning.  The team rarely made the playoffs, usually had a losing record, and had a hard time filling the stands on game days.  He had come from a totally different environment; a positive, winning environment he wanted to create with his new team, so he needed a game plan.

His approach involved helping his teammates understand that if they put forth the effort to be the best players they could be and concentrate on winning football games, they would fill the stands and generate the revenue necessary to more than compensate them for their efforts.  He worked hard on conditioning, talked about the right fuel for the machine, and studied the playbook to perfection.  His teammates started to understand, especially that with the right attitude they might even make the playoffs and win a championship, like he had done with his former team.  He showed them his championship ring.  Donald's Super Bowl Ring

While his impact on the team was a small part of their success, they now contend for the division title every year and have made the playoffs consistently for four or five years.  He had helped the players think things through, adjust their attitude, and play with a different winning mindset.

What’s the game plan for your business?

You can easily do the least possible and get by.  That’s simple.  You will own a business and take an occasional paycheck.  Your company may be remembered one day for providing a product or service that people enjoyed while it lasted.  You may even have an impact on some people’s lives.  Is that your legacy and game strategy?  Is that why you are in business?  Is it enough for you to accomplish?

Or …

Do you want to create, develop, and sustain a comprehensive strategy that builds your brand to have top-of-mind awareness among consumers and own the market for your product or service?  You can work your brand to the point where it has phenomenal impact on whatever plane you wish to dominate, including net profit, market share, employee relations, customer service, and public perception.  It can be done.

Your strategy starts with your attitude.  Answer the question:  Why are you in business?  Then build on that response by surrounding yourself with the right coaches (consultants such as Brand Irons) and players (employees and vendors).  Understand what you’re selling and who your target audience is so they’re willing to buy tickets (purchase your products or services) and come to the games (become repeat customers).

You choose whether your business is mediocre or exceptional.

I go to a certain grocery store for a reason; it’s my favorite.  I could buy food at a store where the prices are cheaper, but I go where I do because the owner/manager will stop and talk to me whenever and wherever I am in the store.  He and his staff understand the relationship with the customer is more important than stocking the shelves.  It makes a difference.

A game plan is a fun way to look at your company’s business plan and market strategy.  Contact Brand Irons to get help putting yours together.

 

Developing A Game Plan

The professional football season has arrived!  As the harbinger of autumn, students returning to school, and fall sports, football season also reminds me that business owners need to have a plan for their success.

When you see a coach on the sidelines with his play chart, it’s easy to think of that as a cheat sheet.  In reality, it’s the result of hours of preparation and planning.  The head coach and his assistants have assessed the talent of their players and considered their options for every possible scenario in a game situation.  They know that if the offense faces 2nd down and 15 yards from their own 35 yard line, they can bring in four wide receivers  and execute a 20-yard sideline pass to get the first down.  If they fail to execute and it’s 3rd and 15, there’s another play – perhaps the same one – that is in the plan.

Calling a play

You need game plans for your business and your football team.

 

Yet it all comes down to the basics – the line needs to block.  The quarterback needs a few seconds of time to spot and hit a receiver who’s going to be open.

Your business, to ensure growth and a positive bottom line, also needs a game plan.  Sure, you can jot down some thoughts on a cocktail napkin, but planning for success is a team effort.  Your front line employees must know their assignments, especially as they pertain to taking care of the consumers (opening the holes to make the sale).  Your production team must be prepared to meet the demand and generate results.  Your marketing crew needs to position your efforts to satisfy customers while putting profits on the bottom line (touchdowns – points scored).

Success in business, as in football, is a team effort.  A big difference in business is  that your opponent seldom changes, whereas in football you face a different team each week.  It’s all in the preparation.

A parting thought:  Remember that part of your business plan should include how you deal with adversity, negative press, or economic downturns.  You may say you will let the chips fall where they may, but it makes more sense to know which ones you can pick up and which ones should be chalked up to a learning experience.

As an independent, third party consultant, bringing in a consultant such as Brand Irons can provide you with an emotion-free perspective that puts teeth in your business plan.  it also gives you a consumer’s point-of-view about the perceptions of your business that can prove beneficial in dealing with adversities.