What Makes an All-Star?
Author: Linda J. Popky
As a lifelong baseball fan, one of the best parts of summer is immersing myself in baseball.
This year things are particularly good, since my San Francisco Giants won the World Series in November and, in spite of a slew of injuries, are leading their division at the All-Star Break–with five Giants and manager Bruce Bochy as key parts of the National League All-Star team.
Which begs the question: What is it that *really* makes someone an All-Star?
Quite simply, an All Star is someone who stands out from the crowd with outstanding performance. It’s someone who can be counted on to not just deliver personal results, but to do what’s necessary to help their team succeed.
In Major League Baseball, there are several ways one becomes an All-Star: You’re voted in by the fans (the customers), by the players (your peers), or by the manager (your management). Some players make the team almost every year. Some show up only once and aren’t heard from again, others appear for a few years and then quietly fade away. Once in awhile a dark horse is rewarded – someone like Ryan Vogelsong of the Giants whose current performance has been outstanding, but was totally unexpected based on his previous track record.
As with any other honor, sometimes the results are political, but more often than not they’re based on one or more of these constituencies recognizing and rewarding the individuals they think are at the top of their game. And most of those chosen really are the cream of the crop in their field.
In the business world, there’s an All-Star team, too. We don’t have a big televised exhibition game and all the hoopla, but we do recognize All-Stars–sometimes explicitly, sometimes implicitly.
Business All-Stars are those employees and partners who we acknowledge for standout performance, as well as the fact that they go the extra distance to get the results we need.
We all want to be associated with winners. When we’re seen as All-Star caliber, our customers and clients choose us for their teams not just because we have great skills, but because we have a track record of great results. When you’re recognized as the top of your game, your “fans” are willing to travel a little further and pay a little more to be associated with the best of the best.
To be chosen as an All-Star, not only do you need to perform, but your performance needs to be recognized by the key groups you support. That means it’s not enough to do great work – you have to be sure to blow your own horn and make sure your customers and clients are aware of what you’ve accomplished.
Testimonials from previous clients, listings of awards won and stories of results achieved are all ways we can show our fans that we’re deserving of a place on their All-Star team.
Is your business doing all it can to highlight your All-Star capabilities? Are you incenting your employees to perform and their best and provide leading edge customer service and support to your customers? Do you tout your accomplishments in a way that makes your fan base want to stand up and cheer?
Consider how focusing on All-Star performance can help your business hit one out of the park.
Contact us for a free marketing assessment today.
