Ever joined a pickup basketball game?

Maybe at the Y or the local rec center or even your gym?
(Of course I realize, ladies, this question may not be germane to your experience. But you can still follow along.)

There’s Always That One Player Who Stands Out…

He’s fast and smooth, with natural, elegant flow. Every shot he takes hits the bottom of the net. Every pass he makes is right on target.
Perhaps he’s a one-time high school phenom. Maybe a former Division I college player. Or just one of those rare athletes blessed with physical gifts.
Whatever the root cause, he’s just better than everyone else on the court.
And whatever team he’s on always wins.
Unless… A player or two on the opposing team get smart. And applies some strategy.

With Rules

In organized basketball, from a rec league for 10 year olds to the NBA, there are rules…
Organized games include referees. And referees call fouls. When you’re called for fouling a player, that player gets to take free throws.
And you can only commit so many fouls before you get kicked out of the game.

And Without

But in pickup basketball, no such rules exist. There are no referees, so players call their own fouls. But when a player calls a foul, they just get the ball back. No free throws.
And players can commit as many fouls as they want. They can’t foul out of a game.

So What’s the Advantage…

Of unlimited fouls and no points surrendered for committing them?
Whenever that phenom player goes to take a shot or make a pass to setup a teammate to score… slap him on the wrist or hit him on the arm … bump into his hip … step on his foot or bang his shin … grab his shirt or give him a little shove.
He’ll call a foul for these offenses, but he just gets the ball back. Foul him again. And again. And again. (I’m sure you’re getting the picture here.)
Eventually he stops calling fouls. His already broken flow, due to the constant barrage of fouls, isn’t helped by the continual breaks in play.

Leveling the Playing Field

Pretty soon he’s totally off his game. He’s not making as many shots. Not setting up as many teammates. His advantage evaporates. Suddenly he’s on par with the rest of the players.
Clearly, a smart strategy can completely outperform a superior player. No matter how great his skills or ability.

Smart Strategy Vs. Untargeted Tactics

It works the same way in marketing. A smart strategy always out performs untargeted tactics that are just thrown against the proverbial wall in hopes of gaining traction.
Imagine launching a marketing campaign without any idea of who you’re selling to, or even an inkling of how best to reach your ideal client.
Your positioning is: “Hey, we’ve got a great service that everyone (and we mean EVERYONE) is gonna want what we’re peddling. “
This approach is doomed to fail. Because when you’re selling to EVERYONE, you’re really selling to NO ONE.
No matter how good you think your service is: not EVERYONE is buying what you’re selling.

Instead of trying to throw your arms around the entire market…

• Identify your ideal client and create a profile (who are they, what do they want, and how can my business help them?)
• Craft a story that identifies your ideal clients’ pain points and illustrates how your business can solve their problems
• Reach your ideal clients through the channels they frequent most

In Basketball And Business…

A smart, savvy strategy can overcome a superior player’s skills in pickup basketball. On the same coin, a thoughtful, well-planned marketing strategy can cut through the noise and clutter in your marketplace, zero in on your ideal client, and sell your services.

What About You?

What’s your marketing strategy? How has it improved your business? Solidified your niche? Increased your sales? On the other side of the coin, how has the lack of a strategy impacted your business? Stop by my Google+ page and share your experiences.