| Two lives ago I was the physical therapist who came to own a successful chain of sports medicine centers. One life ago I was the president of the Philadelphia 76ers who helped resurrect the franchise from NBA basement-dweller to world championship contender. And in one of my present business lives, I am a founding partner of Pirate Soul Museum and Rum Barrel restaurant/bar located in Key West.
Three very different scenarios, one underlying goal and outcome: customer satisfaction. And in all three scenarios, our targeted success of producing satisfied customers—as in patients, fans, and customers, respectively—can be attributed to one prevailing and ubiquitous activity: selling.
Now I’m not just talking about conventional strategies like planned presentations and cold calls and advertising campaigns and direct mail (although each is an important component in a structured sales and marketing plan). I am referring to creating and consistently seizing the opportunity to utilize the most valuable and vital asset available to any company…the staff.
In short, my sales philosophy in every one of my business pursuits boils down to one two-word exclamatory sentence: Everybody sells!
Every individual, from the secretary to the CEO, is in the perfect position to sell the world on the wares of your—their—company. Every interaction with a customer or potential customer is an opportunity to sell, not just the product or service, but the philosophy, commitment, passion, and promise of your company and its people. At the end of the day, the attitude the staff demonstrates regarding their product, service, and place of business is contagious, and will be interpreted as a strong endorsement.
The question is, will that endorsement be positive or negative?
When I first took over the reins of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996, it was a losing team and a losing organization with a completely lost fan base. The prevailing attitude had to change before any other element of the organization would be primed for repair.
We determined that Step One on our ascent had to be a visual cue to all observers that we, the 76ers organization, down to the very last employee, were proud of the organization and not afraid to show it.
So the first order of business was to order new staff shirts with the Sixers’ multi-colored logo neatly embroidered over the heart. These shirts were distributed to every member of the office staff as well as the coaching staff. Next, the players’ practice gear and sweat suits were redesigned with a cool new look. More staff attire followed as in t-shirts and sweatshirts and hats and jackets. And I made it mandatory that anyone anywhere near the team’s practice floor was to wear Sixers gear. Or go home!
The staff really bought into it—after all, these were no drab duds! By putting on their snazzy new threads every day, and buying into our newfound sense of pride and passion, the staff from top to bottom assumed an entirely new attitude. And the public—from the remaining few faithful fans to our long-lost customers—soon saw a difference.
Every day a horde of media covered our practices and did one-on-one interviews with our players, coaches, and various staff. And with several TV cameras rolling and photographers snapping shots throughout each session, we capitalized on the opportunity to show the world the pride of our team and the passion for our franchise. It was like wearing your heart on your sleeve, and the fans of Philly really responded.
By our second year, there was no question that the Sixers were back. Working for the Sixers suddenly became an energizing experience for the staff, who eagerly embraced the new direction over the old perception. And being a fan of the Sixers was no longer a closeted occupation. People were starting to sport Sixers gear again in the streets and, in greater and greater numbers, in the seats of our arena.
By the time we reached the NBA finals in 2000-2001, we were averaging nearly 20,000 fans per game—a sea of red and black—and became the top-selling NBA team for merchandise, accounting for 25% of all NBA-licensed sales product.
And it all started with our rededication to wearing our colors with pride. And to letting that pride show in every opportunity we got. -- PC
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