Why do I relate our business so much to basketball during the day? Well, one I love it. Which is probably why my wife assigned me this topic. I like to keep things simple and I think on some level a lot of people can relate to basketball, but most importantly I think the two are relatable.
Basketball teams get better by practice and game experience, advertising is no different. We are much better today than we were 3 years ago. I like to tell people if you want to be good for the game then show up for practice. If we want to provide the best advertising for our clients then we come to work and do it every single day. We get better and when it really counts we are ready for the game…and in retail advertising it counts in the 4th quarter. In retail we may win the championship in November and December, but it’s all the work we do January through October that puts us in the position to win.
Basketball is all about ebbs and flows. There are no shut outs in basketball and you aren’t going in undefeated. So, get used to losing some. We don’t go into work thinking we might lose, but it happens. What makes you a winner is how you learn from mistakes and deal with adversity. These are the things that carry you through the season and get you in the position to win the Championship. Damn it feels good winning championships.
I love talking…whether it be on the court or in the office. If you’re defending your opponent, and you’re getting picked, your teammate better be talking so you don’t end up smashing into a big 7-footer and getting knocked unconscious. Same goes in the office. If you’re not talking to each other about what’s going on, then you’re not playing in the game. You might as well be the Monday morning quarterback. You can sit around and talk a good talk, but you’re just a spectator. You just can’t win without talking to each other and being in the game.
What I like about the NBA is the best players play the game. Despite what people tend to say the winners ultimately play the best team ball and develop the best teammates. The NBA is absolutely a team sport. Every team needs superstars through role players and it’s no different for us. We do our best to draft the best talent out there and train them the Bottom Line Way.We also go out and get the best free agents we can that fit our team.
At the end of the day, whether they are draft picks or free agents, our job is to compensate them appropriately, give them an incredible work environment and a team that has the potential to win championships. And, most importantly when they do win, it’s our job to compensate them to keep them or else they’ll take those skills to another team and another city to win a championship.
At BLM, we may not be NBA players or rocket scientists, but driving traffic and sales for retail is a science and our formula works. We work hard to provide 1. The BEST service and 2. Huge results. We train, we practice and we game plan. We win when our customers win. We win when our culture is full of love, loyalty and hard work. What does your team look like?
Ps. GO Heat! #BLMlife