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Sport business development: How do you respond to enquiries?
I received a call this evening from an athlete that wanted some help.So, I did what I would normally do. I asked her what was happening and instigated a conversation.
After about 15 minutes we started to explore some of the practicalities - where was she, could we meet etc.
At that point she made an interesting comment. She said that she had called a few people and only felt that she'd clicked with me. This wasn't the first time I'd had a comment that suggested we were developing rapport already, and I was genuinely interested to know: What was different about me?
She said she was put off because the other professionals she spoke to didn't seem to really be that interested in her issue, but just wanted to set up a consultation. In other words, they were rushing to get to second base without getting to first.
I've been in consulting for 10 years, and I'm still a relative novice when it comes to business development, but I thought I'd share some thoughts on how to deal with consulting enquiries.
1. This is first step in a process. Don't try to rush to next steps.
2. Find out what the key issues are from the enquirer's point of view. Ask questions and more questions, and demonstrate understanding by playing back the issues to them.
3. Be prepared to invest some time in the person on the phone. It doesn't matter if you don't know straight away whether they have a budget, or whether there are other barriers to you working together. Yes, establish these, but not at the expense of rapport.
4. Try to help them, even if that means passing them on to someone else in your network. What goes around, comes around.
The first call is about establishing that you are competent and trustworthy enough to move to the next step with. For an individual client the next step might be a paid consultation, while for a bigger prospect it might simply be a meeting to discuss their needs in detail. If you treat the person on the end of the phone as a person, you're more likely to get to that next step.
Share business development tips and experiences in the sports entrepreneurship and business development club.
Just how fast can a swimsuit be?
It is interesting to note the furore over the latest Speedo swimsuit, the LZR Racer bodysuit. It has been designed with the help of NASA and, get this, apparently "aids streamlining and reduces skin vibration and muscle oscillation". It has welded, rather than stitched, seams, and is partly made from neoprene, so may increase buoyancy.Of course people are going to say that it has been responsible for 36 world records so far since its release 2 months ago, but there's another side to this story.
First of all, it is Olympic year. Athletes the world over are essentially 'jockeying' for position in the run-up to the games. Some of the major Nations have had their Olympic trials. The Aussies broke eight records at their trials. But even the best swimmers have to be at their best to qualify for the Australian team. LZR suit or no LZR suit. We've also had a European Championship, and a World short course championship. That's a lot of fast swimming in a small amount of time.
And 18 of these records were set at the World short course champs. Now, I know that there were some real stars that didn't turn up, but there were plenty of great swimmers there, in great shape after - or before - attempting to qualify for the Olympics and - perhaps importantly - treating it as a bit of fun. That makes for fast times. The Olympic finals will be a whole lot more serious, more about winning than anything else - including times.
Perhaps Speedo realised that the stage was set for them to release their new costume, and planned the release to coincide with this period of frenetic competition. No? Maybe the release date was an accident and not a clever piece of marketing at all?
We'll never know what difference the suit can make until there are controlled tests and the results released. But that may now be impossible anyway, if the swimmers believe that it will make a difference. As Kirsty Coventry, one of the world record breakers said "Getting this suit on for me is a lot about mentality, having that extra edge and confidence, but it's about the swimmer at the end of the day."
Rob Robson
Sport Psychologist, WarwickshireThe Relative Age Effect - Are We Wasting Sporting Talent?
I stumbled upon this report today, released by the SportNation "think tank" (in November 2006), using research commissioned from Loughborough University, into the question of whether children born later in the sporting year are missing out on selection and development opportunities.The answer to this appears to be a pretty resounding 'yes'. One sport that showed signs of ucking the trend was swimming, who have introduced more 'age on the date' competition. But sports like football, cricket, athletics, basebal and tennis, for example, showed clear signs of the Relative Age Effect.
What's interesting is that this effect appears to continue into senior and elite competitiion - so opportunities missed because of a child's birthday can have lasting effects (or at least that's the implication as strictly we cannot conclude cause and effect from the data). The effect was more pronounced for males than females.
Here's an anecdotal example - Steven Gerrard of Liverpool Football Club and England - who overcame the effect:
Steven Gerrard, one of England’s most talented
footballers, was born in May 1980 and was also a
late developer. He describes in his autobiography
his huge disappointment at not getting into the
FA school at Lilleshall and subsequently not
playing for England under-16s. Michael Owen,
born some six months earlier in December and
more physically developed made both squads
easily. Steve Gerrard wrote in his autobiography:
“The one nagging doubt in the back of my mind
was that my rivals were bigger: I was really small
and facing some tall, strong units in my position.“
Steven resented his rejection but had coaches
and mentors at Liverpool who knew he needed
more time. Most children are not so lucky.out.
footballers, was born in May 1980 and was also a
late developer. He describes in his autobiography
his huge disappointment at not getting into the
FA school at Lilleshall and subsequently not
playing for England under-16s. Michael Owen,
born some six months earlier in December and
more physically developed made both squads
easily. Steve Gerrard wrote in his autobiography:
“The one nagging doubt in the back of my mind
was that my rivals were bigger: I was really small
and facing some tall, strong units in my position.“
Steven resented his rejection but had coaches
and mentors at Liverpool who knew he needed
more time. Most children are not so lucky.out.
This is clearly an important issue for any Nation that wants to create a system that maximises the potentional of all of its athletes, in all sports. Have others come accross this as a problem, or seen examples where structures have been changed or coaches recognised the need to give younger atheletes more time?
Download the full report
Download the executive summary
