Yesterday, at my son’s football camp, I noticed that whenever he went out for a pass during scrimmage, he’d stop, wave his arms wildly, and call out to the quarterback, “I’m open! I’m open!”
The quarterback would glance in Cooper’s direction and see what the rest of us saw—the defender standing just behind Cooper, ready to intercept the pass—and he’d either throw to a different receiver or run the ball.
Cooper was clearly becoming frustrated.
During a break in the scrimmage, I approached him and shared this advice: “Coop, if you want the quarterback to throw you the ball, you must give him a reason to. You need to make yourself a compelling target.”
Cooper’s eight years old, so I defined “compelling” for him as commanding attention; having a powerful and irresistible effect.
It occurred to me that this advice applies to business as well. Businesses, whether large organizations or sole proprietorships, must give prospective customers a reason to consider them. They must make themselves compelling in order to attract their attention and compete for their business.
What do you do to make yourself and your business compelling to prospective customers?
- showcase powerful testimonials?
- build a website or social media presence that commands attention?
- present an irresistible offer?
- distinguish your products and services from those of your competitors?
In business, as on the football field, if you’re not compelling, then you will likely become frustrated. Instead of being noticed, you may be ignored. And instead of being irresistible, you may just become irrelevant.
So what makes you or your business compelling?
