Defense Wins in Baseball- Not Business By: Bart Latimer First, I want to go on record as believing defense does, in fact, play a significant role in business. The protection of both tangible and intangible assets through legal maneuvers, insurance, safety measures, etc, is a necessary form of “defense” every person running a business must plan for and execute.
Now that you have a feel of what I consider to be “defense” within an organization, how would you define
Sales and Marketing arm of your company? Most people, without hesitation, say, “Offense.” The aggregate gist of explanation is something like this- “After all, I advertise in three different publications and send five Account Executives throughout territory daily, so I am confident we get our share of pie.” On surface, activity I just described does sound like offense. But, is it? It was offense when my Grandfather was selling. It was considered offense when my Father was selling. To be honest, as recently as when I began selling, above scenario was considered offense.
The key difference is that today’s markets are faster, more competitive, and ever-changing. Sales and marketing efforts can inadvertently and quickly turn into “defense” due to a myriad of factors such as JIT inventory practices, global competition, and geopolitical undercurrents. But, above all, change is predominant element which makes a sales or marketing team play defense, rather than offense.
A Real Life Example of “Defensive Selling” Affecting an Entire Industry
This story is industry-specific, but we all have a similar story. Have you ever heard term, “Paperless society?” Beginning in late 1990’s, commercial printing paper mills began closing, consolidating, and doing everything possible to stay afloat.
A group of people who for years prior had played offense, putting huge numbers on board, earning great money, and having a certain degree of leverage with clients due to a healthy, firm market were now playing defense. Not only was business itself in decline, but margins eroded, morale suffered, and rut seemed to get deeper by day. Sales conferences which were once motivational, fun, and full of success stories began to feel like a funeral for a much beloved industry. Under heavy fire, cries to management all carried a universal theme- “Our customers are suffering.”
Which company began making money again? The one that decided they disliked role of defense and changed positions. In hindsight, solution is almost too simple. If root problem was that customers were suffering, then helping them should have been first action taken.
