Rooting for the underdog
By Erica Schulz
On Sunday, February 5, 2008, nearly 148.3 million viewers tuned in to watch part or all of Super Bowl XLII (The second highest number of audience members ever to tune in at the same time, behind the final episode of M*A*S*H* in 1983). On that fateful day, something happened that most people didn’t expect: The New York Giants beat the New England Patriots, 17-14.
Isn’t victory even sweeter when the underdog unexpectedly defeats his opponents? With all of that scrutiny, the winner can stand up and say, “We told you so… and you didn’t believe.”
The same scrutiny occurs when small businesses compete with the “big dogs.” If a business only focuses on the seemingly impossible odds against his competition, poor mentality follows, with the idea “It can’t be done.”
So, what makes the G-Men so much less “qualified,” or undeserving of a title, than the renowned Pats?
First off, the Patriots can already boast three rings in the last six years, showing their ability to consistently come out on top.
If that weren’t enough, their leadership and star player, quarterback Tom Brady has proven himself to be a crucial asset to the team’s makeup.
Now compare this stallion to the seemingly under-developed and over-scrutinized QB, Eli Manning. The New Orleans-native already had legendary shoes to fill next to his father Archie; and brother, Peyton (Not to mention, Peyton’s “commercial” success).
With the past experience and proven leadership already favoring the Patriots, it seemed a safe bet to go with a team that has the history and numbers, to back up the win. It seemed inevitable the Patriots would be going for their fourth Lombardi trophy. The Super Bowl, after all, is a test to determine the best of the best.
But that’s not what happened.
With teamwork, communication, a full knowledge of their opponent’s plays and the skills to back it up, the Giants were able to take home their first Super Bowl ring in almost 20 years.
And – come on – what QB can get out of a three-man sack, only to advance 32 yards with a pass off the helmet of his wide receiver?
The only way to reach the end zone is one down at a time.
With ample preparation, an extensive knowledge of your lineup and your opponents, and the experience on and off the field, even small businesses can achieve big results.
After all, America roots for the underdog.
February 16th, 2008 at 11:31 am
You write, “Even small businesses can achieve big results?”
With a lot of hard work, I was able to get Pete’s RV of Arizona an exclusive 7 coach RV display in the Superbowl vendor area with Gulfstream coach. We actually lost the deal the night before staging and put it back together in the final hours! We had national TV spots and much more. Response was tremendous and we even had one of the bands hang out and watch the game in a coach with us while waiting to play after the game!
Hard work paid off for this small business!
February 14th, 2008 at 8:40 am
The Underdog. Wow, the industry is feeling that way right now. Good points to make everyone think about. We have seen struggling times like our industry is experiencing before. This creates very poor mentalities as you mentioned and everyone wants to scrutinize the numbers. Point is things are not going to turn around immediately so what can you do as a company? Well I have experienced this before, so you can either complain and whine or get back to the basics. I truly believe now is the time to really evaluate what you are providing for your customers. Now is the time to scrutinize your lineup. How is the quality of my product? Do customers pay more for better quaility? Absolutely! Now is the time to search the suppliers and evaluate their offerings. No one wants to spend time in the repair shop. Where are my biggest warranty issues? You have not had time to deal with them when things are at a fast pace. Deal with it now. Find out what the issues really are. Do I offer the best features in my product? Probably not. Survey your customers. Find out what they want. Do my sales people understand the benefits of these features and how to present them? Doubtful. When it is easy to sell, why bother knowing the product? Train them. What is the competition offering? Find something better. In short, the industry will turn around again. Will you be the team that is prepared with a game plan and the product when this happens? Nice article Erica.
February 12th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Erica, well said to say the least!! We are small, but when it comes to service around this area, our reputation cant be touched!!, as a matter of fact some of “The big Dogs” around here, come to me for answers or send me customers for repairs. Fact is Knowledge is Power!! I strive on training any tech that works in service to be able to out diagnose and out perform the average tech in half the time. who would ever think that youd come up with a “underdog story” that really exists!! Cool!