If there’s anything I hate more than losing, it’s winning by the opponents mistake.
7 games of pool later, someone beat me. And I mean they played better than I did and sunk the 8-ball while I still had another ball on the table. That’s a win. I hate winning when they have out-shot me but then strike on the 8-ball shot. That’s not a win. I definitely won a few games through skill, but of the 6 games I played, I should have lost the 3rd game.
I think the same holds true in business. A business doesn’t truly win when the competition screws up and misses a shot. Yes, they can get ahead and keep playing, but to be able to keep that streak going, they actually need to be better than the competition. They need to work harder, be more aggressive, and really push to do better than they may think is possible. It’s making that bank shot that you don’t feel you know how to make. It’s hitting the long ball resting on the bumper. Yes, there are going to be plenty of missed shots, but you can only learn to make those shots by practicing.
Here’s where it breaks down a bit. It’s a lot easier to practice pool all by yourself, without risk of losing to an opponent. If you’re the only one at the table, nobody can screw up your shots but you. In business, unless you’re the only one doing what you do, you always are playing against a (potentially more) skilled opponent. And even if you’re the only one in the field, it’s not going to last long in today’s digital world. What can help you are your clients. If you’re really good to them, in some exceptional way (which really shouldn’t be that hard), they will help you win the next competition. Even if they don’t realize they’re doing it.
So how often do you practice that bank shot?
