What’s Your Free Throw Percentage?

Posted on by Scott

blue-basketball-american-basket.jpgI’ve always been a fan of basketball. It’s the perfect sport. It doesn’t take a lot of fancy equipment or training to play. It’s fast-paced and the rules are fairly simple to understand. It requires a combination of strategy, teamwork, and individual skill. Though I’ve cheered for a number of specific teams over the years, including my son’s championship high school team, I don’t need a particular side to root for in order to enjoy a good game.

One part of the game that has always frustrated me though, is free throws. When shooting a free throw, the player has just about everything to their advantage. They stand in a specific spot to shoot, so they don’t have to adjust for varying angles to the basket. The opposing team cannot steal the ball or block the shot, so they player can focus their attention. They have plenty of time to prepare for each free throw, so they don’t have to worry about being rushed to beat the clock. Yet, with all of this going for them, so many players are horrible at shooting free throws.

It’s often said that games are decided at the free throw line. Statistically, two-thirds of a winnings team’s points over the final minutes of a basketball game come from free throws. However, free throw shooting percentages have remained relatively unchanged over the past 50 years. College players make, on average, 69% of their free throw attempts. Players in the NBA average around 75%. There have always been individuals who stand out, but despite 50 years of sports evolution, why hasn’t the average make-rate of this “gimme” shot improved?

The answer is simple: practicing free throws isn’t fun. Few players want to spend significant amounts of time standing in the same pot, shooting the same shot, over and over again. It’s much more invigorating to run special plays or launch low-percentage fade-away three point attempts during practice. Even coaches will admit they generally have low expectations for the free throw.

Becoming a free-throw master isn’t really that hard. The perfect free throw shot is straight, creates a 45 degree arc, and hits the basket about 11 inches past center. Get these three things right consistently, and you’re among the elite – the hero of the game. Miss the easy shots when they count and, well…

Winning the sales and service game is a lot like playing basketball. We live for the big play and the game winning shot, but all too often, we miss the easy shots. It’s the mundane, day-to-day, seemingly insignificant activities that wind up making the difference in whether we win or lose. But it’s precisely because they’re easy, or should be, that we don’t give them much thought.

It takes so little to stand out from the crowd. Often you just have to stand up when everyone else is sitting down. You don’t have to be the most innovative, have the flashiest marketing, or offer the lowest prices. Simply execute, consistently, on the simple stuff and you elevate yourself above the average. That’s what the best do. That’s why they win. The fancy shots and buzzer-beaters make for a great the highlight reel, but games are won by executing on the basics.

So, what’s the secret to consistency? It’s identifying the best way to approach your shot, getting the right kind of coaching, and practicing until perfection becomes automatic. That’s how you win basketball games, and that’s how you win customers.

What’s your free throw percentage? How often do you greet the customer, identify their needs, meet those needs, and then thank them for their business? How consistent is your team at delivering on the easy shots – the can’t-miss opportunities to remind people of the great decision they made in choosing you? Master this part of the game and you’ll greatly increase your odds of a winning season.

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The Keys to Peak Performance

Posted on by Scott

basketball

The man on top of the mountain didn’t fall there. -Vince Lombardi

If you’ve never been a professional basketball fan, now is a good time to tune in. The Cleveland Cavaliers are locked in a tough battle with the Golden State Warriors for the NBA championship. The first two games went into overtime, a first for a finals series, and both teams are bringing their best in a bid for the title.

On display are two of the game’s elite players. The marquee player for the Warriors is Stephen Curry, the regular season MVP. The Cavaliers are led by Lebron James – arguably the best player on the planet. These two men bring their best game after game and, as a result, raise the level of play from their teammates.

Whether you’re talking about athletes, craftsmen, salespeople, or service providers; there are certain traits that set the best apart. I’m not talking about natural ability or physical characteristics. What puts top performers on the top is the way they approach the game.

Top performers constantly look to improve. The best of the best are never satisfied with their performance. They know there’s always something more they can do to get better. There’s always something else they can do to elevate their game. And knowing there’s something they can do to improve, they can’t sit still. They feel compelled to pursue the next level.

Top performers seek out feedback. There’s only so far you can improve on your own. Those who seek excellence understand that assistance is necessary for them to move on. So they reach out to the best resources they can find – their coach, other experts, more experienced players – and ask them for help. You don’t achieve elite status without inviting others to evaluate your performance. Assessment isn’t viewed as an inconvenience; it’s considered a necessity.

Top performers respond to constructive criticism. Superstars welcome criticism more than accolades. It’s not that they don’t appreciate praise and validation; but “atta-boys” alone don’t help you improve. To achieve greatness, you have to understand what’s keeping you from it. You need someone who will point out your weaknesses and then help you tackle them. The elite need to hear the bad news; but they need to hear it from someone who cares about their success. In the end, they stand on top; but they don’t stand alone.

As of this writing the Warriors have the advantage, having gone up three games to two in the best-of-seven series. Regardless of which team winds up on top, I’m enjoying the show. Seeing top performers do what they do best is always a treat.

Bad Passes & Missed Free-throws: Mistakes That Can Cost You the Game (And How To Avoid Them)

Posted on by Scott

Basketball has long been my favorite sport. Although I never played organized ball, I’ve always been drawn to the fast pace, the feats of athleticism and the drama of a close game. Of course, having a high-schooler on the local basketball team probably has something to do with it too.

I’m always amazed at how many games are won by the wrong team. By that I mean that the better team, at least according to the stats (and conventional wisdom), loses. How is it that the teams with all the talent, the best coaching, and the home crowd so often come up short – hanging their heads while the underdogs celebrate?

Usually, when a championship calibre team suffers a defeat, it’s not because of some sudden explosion of talent from the other bench. Rather, it comes down to fundamentals – basics of the game that don’t receive much attention until a failure to execute them results in disaster. There are certain aspects of the game that can spell ruin for even the greatest team – whether its on the basketball court or in business. Here are three problems to watch out for, and how to avoid them.

1. Bad passes. The handoff between departments is an important part of handling any customer interaction. Whether its transferring a customer call, or the movement of documents from one area of responsibility to another, great care should be taken to ensure that “passing the ball” is handled properly. Nothing is more frustrating to a customer than to see great service suddenly go bad because someone dropped the ball.

How to avoid this problem:
– Identify your danger zones – steps where the ball is passed from one person or department to another. Engaging in some simple process mapping will force these into the open.

– Develop strategies to ensure tasks (and customers) crossing through the danger zone don’t fall through the cracks. Implement checklists, notification systems or other accountability measures to make sure important items aren’t missed and customer confidence is maintained.

– Once your new process is established, communicate its importance, making sure to emphasize how each individual contributes to the success of the team. Train everyone involved. Conduct skill drills and role plays to make sure they understand how the work is supposed to flow. Don’t forget new employees. Don’t let a service breakdown be their introduction to the desired process.

– Review the process regularly to make sure it reflects any changes to technology, regulations or customer expectations.

2. Missed free-throws. Free-throws are those easy-to-get-right transactions and activities that occur every day; things like getting the order right, showing up on time, and returning a phone call when you said you would. Customers expect you to get the little things right. Take care to hit the mark on the easy stuff and they’re more likely to trust you when it comes time for something involving a greater degree of risk. But fail to execute on the simple things and your credibility will suffer.

How to avoid this problem:
– Set expectations you know are attainable, not ones you think you can meet. Give yourself some wiggle room. Leave plenty of room for appointments to run long rather than shoe-horning meetings into every available bit of free time. If you think you can get an answer by lunch, tell your customer you’ll call them by the end of the day.

– Develop systems to make success almost guaranteed. Use your calendar to schedule return phone calls and set an alert so you won’t miss it. Design quality checks into the order-filling process so that you can deliver with confidence. Prepare back-up systems so that customers aren’t left in limbo because the one person who can help them came down with the flu.

3. Failure to rebound. Problems happen. Despite your best efforts, you will miss the mark occassionally. So, being ready to bounce back from a miss is critical. When service issues arise, your ability to rebound can turn a customer whose faith has been shaken into an advocate for life. In fact, research has shown that a customer who has experienced a problem, and has subsequently seen that problem resolved to their satisfaction, is more loyal than one who has never experienced a problem to begin with. Customers understand that mishaps occur; but they expect you to respond appropriately.

How to avoid this problem:
– Identify where service breakdowns are most likely to occur. Every business has them. You should know what your’s are. If you don’t, ask a few customers. They’ll tell you where you fall short.

– Develop automatic rebound strategies for these issues. Specify an appropriate response to each service issue. When problem “A” happens, we respond with solution “B.” When “X” occurs, we do “Y.”

– Train your employees and empower them to execute the strategies you’ve developed. If you’re smart, you included them in both the problem identification and solution development phases, so adoption should be easy. People are more likely to buy into solutions they helped develop.

Too many times, we focus on our newest product roll-out, the latest store remodel or the shiny new technology; when all our customers want is for us to execute on the little things that affect them most. Invest the time and effort necessary to shore up these base-level expectations and you’ll create a foundation of trust upon which to highlight your organization’s product or service.