Belief and Performance

Another lesson from the golf course.

I'd be interested to know via comments if you agree that this lesson can be translated to your business life, and if so what stories you have.

I am a member of a golf club and as such each year there is a competition known as "The Captain's Prize". It is a singles knock out competition played using match play. It is like the final day of the Ryder Cup in format. So it is you against him. And in the last 2 weeks I have played 2 matches where it was me, against him. In both cases I went in to the match confident and in both matches I won. Happy days. But it was the attitude of my opponents that surprised me and increased my own confidence.

In the first match I played reasonably well, but got to the end of the 9^th (half way) 2 down. I was confident I was playing well enough to turn the game around, especially as the other guy hit 3 putts on the 9^th green and started chunnering to himself. I won the 10^th, 11^th and 12^th and by now he was talking himself down. His belief had totally gone. On the 13^th green he had a reasonably short putt that I asked him to play. He thought I should have given it, but given his attitude I thought there was a good chance he would miss. He did. 2 up. His mumbling just got worse, I kept quiet and focussed and won the match on the 16^th green.

In the 2^nd match my opponent started talking himself out of the game after the 1^st green. We halved it in 4, but he 3 putted (after an excellent drive). His next drive went out to the right and with his mumbling and chatter I knew I had him beat. The game ended on the 14th green.

Yes it’s a game of the mind.But then so is business

It’s about winning the sale, believing in the ability of your company, product or service and talking yourself up, not down. I have seen too many sales people lose the faith before they start. They mutter that they don’t have this widget or that feature and fail to realise that they are offering all the benefits that the customer is seeking.

Belief is the key.

Focus on the goal.

In business as in golf, if you focus on the bunker you’ll go into it and fail.