In This Economy, Play “Small Ball” for Success!

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In This Economy, Play “Small Ball” for Success!

Posted in: Blog by Glenn S. Phillips on May 19, 2009

Everyone loves the “Home Run,” whether it is in baseball or business. That one play (or project) that scores for sure, makes the paper and even has a clear hero! Unfortunately for many teams and businesses, home runs are not the most common play. And in a slow economy, the home run deals become even less common for businesses, potentially putting companies at risk.

So if you are a good coach or manager, what do you do when the big hits are slumping? You recognize the situation, you take what the opponent is giving and you adjust. You deliberately play “small ball.” That is, you manufacture scoring by patiently hitting singles, bunts and taking the walks. You suggest smarter projects to the client for things they really need or did not have time for last year. You find creative ways to setup projects and flexibly payment plans. Does all this have more overhead and effort? Probably. However, it typical has less risk too and, in some ways, that reduces the overhead of all the strike outs you get swinging for the home runs.

It the current economy, most businesses that may hire your company will likely have slowed or stopped the big projects for at least the short-term. But business and commerce has not stopped, it continues on. That means the companies that can step up and “take one for the team” by accepting smaller, flexible projects from their clients can stay busy and successful. These companies also demonstrate stability that can add to their reputation when business heats up again.

Keep in mind that playing “small ball” with projects does not mean unprofitable. Playing “small ball” in business means you are still advancing the bases, still limiting strikeouts and still playing the game with discipline. In some ways, you are even playing with more discipline. That can be a good thing for you and your clients!

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