The National Football League is the exact opposite of a small business. The enormous money-making machine does allow us opportunities to examine tips and mistakes that relate to small businesses, however, and they were on full display during Super Bowl XLIX. Here’s a look at a few lessons to be learned from the New England Patriots’ win over the Seattle Seahawks.
1. Seize the moment: Seattle receiver Chris Matthews had been cut from one NFL team, spent two years in the Canadian Football League, then was out of football. He latched on with Seattle in December, though he didn’t catch a single pass during the season. Then, in the Super Bowl, he was everywhere, gaining 109 yards on four catches, including a touchdown. Had the Seahawks won, he would have been a solid MVP choice. Regardless, he made himself known with his performance, as ESPN reports. “It has been an amazing journey,” Matthews said. “God is good. When your time is up, you have to be ready.”
Small business lesson: Some might say Matthews was lucky to land in the Super Bowl the way he did. It’s more about him taking advantage of the opportunity and being prepared to do so. Author and entrepreneur Kevin Daum writes about the importance of preparation — and how it’s different than just luck — in a story for inc.com.
“Unlucky people often get that way because they’re reactive and unprepared for whatever comes,” he writes. “People who have stored food and water in their basements aren’t lucky to find themselves prepared when disaster strikes, they used forethought to make sure they had what they might need just in case. I personally scoff at this horrible recent trend of disparaging business plans because things change constantly. The point of a business plan isn’t to follow it no matter what, it’s to establish a structure for smart decision making that allows you to succeed no matter what the future might bring.”
2. Be professional, even in times of stress: The crushing manner in which the Seahawks lost came out in the closing seconds, when various Seattle players got into a scuffle with the Patriots. It was an unfortunate moment, given the two teams had played such a highly entertaining game. On the brighter side was the Seahawks’ star cornerback Richard Sherman. Though he has had less-than-professional moments in the past, he greeted Patriots quarterback Tom Brady with a congratulatory handshake when the game ended.
Small business lesson: A new small business will inevitably have ups and downs. Some of those down moments will be stressful and discouraging. But professionalism should always be a priority, especially when dealing with customers, colleagues and staff members.
As Osmond Vitez writes in a piece for Demand Media: “Small businesses often use professionalism to help them establish a good reputation in the business environment. Because many small businesses have limited capital resources during the early years of operations, an important advertising strategy is word-of-mouth. Small businesses that treat each customer in a professional manner and display a strong work ethic when completing business functions or responsibilities can help develop positive goodwill with consumers.”
3. Know your audience: The Super Bowl broadcast is loaded with high-dollar commercials that are usually comedy-oriented. Not so much with one now-famous ad by insurance company Nationwide. It was designed to be a reminder of household dangers and how they can lead to children dying in accidents. But the imagery used (an overflowing bathtub, a cabinet of cleaning chemicals) and a child saying, “I couldn’t grow up, because I died from an accident,” outraged many viewers and took over social media. The company issued a statement, which included, “The sole purpose of this message was to start a conversation, not sell insurance.” That certainly did happen, but many will debate the way the message was conveyed.
Small business lesson: It’s crucial for small business owners to know the ins and outs of the audience they are trying to reach. Research and analysis can be a big step toward that goal. Michael Kaleikini writes about this in a story for entrepreneur.com.
“In marketing, if you have no target, it’s not like the motivational speech of ‘Shoot for the moon — if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.’ It just doesn’t work that way in business. You’ll be shooting into the black expanses of space — where no one exists. Sit down and look at what you are offering and look around at who you think would be perfect for your product or service. … Geographic, demographic and psychographic are the three main ways you can find your target market. Once you know who it is you’re going after, then you can begin to design a plan around how you will market to them so they can see you, begin to learn who you are and get to liking you so they come and buy from you.”
4. Be accountable: The biggest play of the Super Bowl was obviously the Seahawks’ pass at the 1-yard line with under a minute to play. Instead of turning to tough running back Marshawn Lynch to pound the ball over the goal line, the Seahawks opted for a pass play, which was then intercepted by the Patriots’ Malcolm Butler. The play was bashed, almost universally, on social media and by players and pundits. To his credit, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll took all the blame, aiming to not allow quarterback Russell Wilson or offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell to shoulder the criticism. He called Butler’s play “miraculous,” and one that the Seahawks tried to prevent. “I told those guys, that’s my fault totally,” Carroll said.
Small business lesson: Difficult moments — an understatement in this case — are hard to take. Just as Carroll accepted the blame for the play call, small business owners must step up when mistakes are made.
Daum includes this in his story titled “10 Traits of Great Leaders (and Their Followers)” for inc.com.
“Great leaders take full accountability when their team fails, regardless of where mistakes were made or whose performance was substandard,” he says. “Great followers take full ownership of their purview and support their colleagues, knowing full well the team is only as successful as its poorest performer.”
