Color Commentary

I don’t watch much baseball anymore. There was a time when it was ubiquitous on the tv every evening, but times change as kids grow up and they’re more interested in their own shows on the screen. I still manage to tune into the playoffs in October. Meaningful games are just too hard to turn down.

My favorite thing about these telecasts, besides the tension and the drama, is that I get to hear John Smoltz do color commentary on Fox. Most commentators are former players, and it’s nice to get an inside track on the game behind the game. What’s it like to be a player in these situations? Why did he do that?

Believe it or not, there’s a sales lesson here.

Smoltz is a Hall of Famer, one of the best ever to pitch, but I had no idea how smart he was until I saw him on tv. The guy sees the game through a completely different lens. He knows what each player on the field is thinking at all times. His situational knowledge is unparalleled, and I’ve seen him predict the outcome of pitches that haven’t been thrown yet. 

Just a few hours after my first draft of this piece of Friday, he all but called Josh Bell hitting into a double play in the sixth inning of the Phillies/Padres game. Uncanny. I played ball for 20+ years, and I’m still amazed by his insights. I don’t know him, but I feel like I could talk to him for hours about this stuff.

Now let’s think about you and your customers. Are you watching the same game as them? Are you bringing knowledge and insights to them about what they should be prepared for? Are you helping them make decisions about their business because of your unique points of view and experience? Would they welcome the discussion and want to talk with you. for hours?

All of the economic indicators are pointing toward some difficulties over the next year or two. Your clients are going to rely on help from their trusted advisors. Are you one of them? Are you working toward earning it? Are you demonstrating expertise?

There will be a lot of salespeople making calls and pitching offers. Your prospects will have less available bandwidth. Who do you think they’re more likely to share their time with? Someone with an incredible offer or someone with incredible insights?

Choose which one you’re going to be.