Lessons in a Bowling Alley

Interesting lessons are learnt in real life sceanarios when you least expect it. The net result is that the lesson so learnt becomes part of you almost permanently.

Success in selling or a sale, be it a tractor or a financial product or any product for that matter, is 70% in the assessment of environment and strategy.

Let's take an example to understand this better. Let us say, there are 2 brands XYZ and ABC. XYZ is on mass expansion mode and ABC is expanding very selectively - Select pockets select Horsepower.

8 years down the line, XYZ is a mass name and yet has to offer a lot of freebies / schemes to attract customers. Market has learnt that this brand is open to negotiation. Service focus has not been very good. Sale and Service has a wide gap. Product is not tuned to local geography, and is mass product - one model fits all.

In the same 8 years, ABC has built a niche clientele and focuses on demonstrating newer uses and techniques to do work / jobs / tasks easier as compared to practices that were followed. They focussed on selling to influencers, who could experience their product. ABC built a strong service center with sufficient spares before making a sale in a catchment area. They identified pockets which suited their product the best.

Both XYZ and ABC were financially successful. XYZ was 15 times the size of ABC in the same time frame. Yet, the investors in both XYZ and ABC were happy with the progress made in their respective companies. The exponential growth had a price to be paid for.

Where do we want to position ourself ? What is the right move ?

While there are no straight answers to the first part of where to position ourself and would largely depend on the aggression and risk appetite, the second part does have some real time guidelines.      

At this juncture, I would like to narrate an interesting perspective given to me over a ten pin bowling game alley, by a friend / colleague, years back.

THE POISE :

• Once it has been decided that you are entering the alley, the focus should be on :
• The Lane
• The Trajectory to roll the ball
• Feel the weight of the ball to be rolled
• Aim at aligning the body balance
• Decide and Visualize the exact moment and point  at which the ball shall leave your hand
• The point of release of the ball should provide for  a mild skid and turn
• Know the right pin to aim for, which will in turn  connect and topple the other pins.

THE THROW :

• This stage focuses merely in executing what has been strategized in the mind.
• The focus at this stage would be the precision
• The "GOAL" is the only picture at this stage
• The body would aim to re-enact what the mind has visualized and run through as a sequence.

• The Coordination of the entire body comes to provide

           -          Power

           -          Angle

           -          Torque  

THE SUCCESS :

• This stage focuses on           recording the success          formula.
• The mind also provides       accurate info on the permissable range of  mix to achieve same result.
• The attempt is to then measure hit ratio - that is successful attempts to unsuccessful attempts given a limited number of throws.

THE MISSES :

• Never allow the mind to dwell on the misses.
• Quickly run through a "replay" in the mind           to identify the critical point of error.
• Make amends - Try Again.
• Perfection is in practice and analyzing the scene repeatedly until success is sighted.
• To Err is Human. Yet to learn and not repeat the mistake is the capability of the human mind unique to us alone in the entire animal kingdom

What seemed a simple game did have much more to it that what met the eye..... Forming a picture of the environment in the mind was important. Validating the picture and customizing to own requirement and capability was important too. Focussing on strengths and abilities was critical. This built conviction. Conviction gives Hope. Hope builds faith.

Faith once built provided a lovely platform to make a bold attempt to implement what was envisioned. Faith becomes critical as a link between strategy and implementation, the mind and the body. Both do what they are good at. They combine the efforts of both.

Once the effort is put, the result is never in your hand. Yet, we possess the power to change the result by re-affirming our faith and making amends. Being open to correction is as much important to success as is strategy and brawn power.

So the important question to start from is - Do you have faith in what you do at work today ? Do you have conviction ? If not, its never too late.... Seek your answers today. It will pave the path to your success, in whichever sphere of work you are.

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