By John McGory
The climax of the National Football League season will soon be here as the New England Patriots play the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. The big game is often decided by which head coach makes the best in-game decisions.
The fate of your business marketing plan may well be determined by your “in game” decisions. What can you do to make sure you make the right choices? Let’s learn from one Pro Hall of Fame coach on making decisions in the clutch.
The greatest coach’s decision in NFL Championship history arguably came in the 1934 Sneakers Game classic. It was the second NFL championship game in league history and the Giants were pitted against the Chicago Bears.
The game was played December 9, 1934, at the Polo Grounds in New York City. The night before, freezing rain hit the city and the ice-covered turf turned into a skating rink. Giants end Ray Flaherty suggested to Coach Steve Owen at halftime that sneakers would provide better footing than cleats on the frozen playing surface. Owen agreed and sent Abe Cohen to Manhattan College to get some sneakers.
The Giants were losing 13-3 in the 3rd quarter when Cohen returned with nine pairs of sneakers. The Giants took over from that point in the game. Running back Ken Strong had two touchdown runs and the Giants went on to win 30-13.
The Hall of Fame coach’s decision proved to be critical in his team’s win. Players from both teams agreed the sneakers made the difference in the game.
Marketing in today’s business world creates many similar challenges. The Internet and social media prompted unforeseen changes in marketing. Many have learned that the best laid plans are worthless when the playing field drastically changes.
What can we learn from the old coach when facing a dire marketing situation?
1. Realize you have a problem. Coach Owen knew he had to do something to change the game. Too many company leaders refuse to admit they have a problem until it is too late.
2. Listen to your people. The coach listened to Ray Flaherty. Flaherty went on to be a Pro Hall of Fame coach as well. He invented the screen pass and the two-platoon system. Owen knew his end was a sharp guy, so he took his advice and it paid off. Today’s bosses and marketing managers need to do the same.
3. Take action. Owen sent Cohen to Manhattan College to get sneakers. That “out-of-the-box” thinking proved to be the difference between winning and losing.
4. Take advantage of your edge. The Giants took advantage of better footing once they changed to sneakers. If you get an edge over your competition, use it.
The ability to make critical decisions under pressure is the difference between Hall of Fame and losing coaches. If your marketing program is slipping due to harsh conditions, it is time for action. What can you do to turn your game around?
John McGory is a partner at Webface, http://web-face-solutions.com. We are a content marketing company that can help you make the right choices about your marketing shoes. If you like this story then help us out and retweet it.
No comments:
Post a Comment