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Author of "LinkedIn for Personal Branding" l Keynote Speaker l TEDx | LinkedIn Rebranding | B2B Social Selling l My Mantra: "Be a Friend First" | Helping Companies, Events, Universities, Leaders, ERG's, and Employees

Everyone loves ❤️ March Madness! There are so many interesting stories (CInderalla and other). There are ups and downs, unpredictability, competition, and examples of leadership. I hope you will check out my LinkedIn newsletter article about the business lessons we can learn from this Tournament 🏀 Please let me know what YOU have learned from March Madness! #business #leadership #marchmadness #marchmadness2023

Business Lessons from March Madness

Business Lessons from March Madness

Sandra Long on LinkedIn

Megan Crabtree

Empowering Jewelry Manufacturers and Retailers Worldwide with Data-Driven Strategies for Transformative Growth.

12mo

Totally agree Sandra Long! Comparing sales to sports can help sales professionals better understand the various stages of the sales process and the actions required to complete a sale. For example, just like in a game of basketball, where players need to dribble, pass, and shoot to score points, in sales, a salesperson may need to make cold calls, build rapport with customers, establish their needs, and then pitch a solution that meets those needs. The analogy of dribbling, passing, and shooting can easily translate to the sales process of finding prospects, establishing a connection with them, and closing the deal. Looking forward to more of your newsletters!

Don Heymann

Writer, editor, communications advisor and writing coach. You and your organization will benefit from clear, persuasive communications. Let’s have a conversation.

1y

You can make all kinds of predictions based on the latest data, but you’ll always have surprises.

Keith Reynolds

Follow Your North Star: Founder of Publio & CMO. HubSpot Solution Provider. Inbound Marketing strategies to promote your brand, grow your customer audience & build a predictable pipeline. Author: The New Content Culture

12mo

I completely agree- teamwork is key in both endeavors. A well-coached team that values communication, mutual respect, and a common goal can win over a group of talented individuals who don't work all that well together. Celebrating successes and learning from failures as a team also helps build trust and strengthen bonds. Go UCONN!

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Star Dargin, PCC, CPCC, VC

Leadership Coach | Workshop Leader | Facilitator | Speaker | Author | Innovation | Gratitude | Practical | Results, Now!

1y

Excellent article! I've learned that even if I'm not a fan and in love with March Madness, there is always an interesting story to be found in it that is worth paying attention to: )

Gwen Acton, PhD

CEO of Vivo Group | Innovation Leadership Expert for Science & Technology Industries

1y

Another business lesson from March Madness is that good leadership and teamwork can enable less-talented teams to out-compete those which might have more talent. It's a great reminder for sci/tech and other companies that rely on their highly talented workforce to succeed. Thanks for a terrific article Sandra Long.

Todd Cherches

CEO, Leadership & Executive Coach at BigBlueGumball. TEDx speaker. Author of “VisuaLeadership.” MG 100 Coaches.

1y

Excellent piece, Sandra! The March Madness metaphor definitely provides a lot of valuable business insights and reminders. I agree that every customer interaction is a "single elimination" event...so -- even with our most loyal customers/clients -- we need to deliver a winning peformance every single time.

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Tara Whitney, ACC, CPA

Leadership Coaching, Executive Coaching, Strategic Planning, Financial Analysis, Dashboard Metrics

11mo

I loved the interview with LSU head coach Kim Mulkey after the championship win. She said, I'm not afraid of personalities and some coaches are. I have a lot of personalities on this team. I am one. (or something to that effect). What I heard in her statement is that she lets her players be who they are and appreciates what they bring to the court. As a result, she created a championship team in her second year as a head coach.

Kristie Jones

We help B2B SaaS sales reps and leaders reduce anxiety caused by anemic pipelines and missed quotas by formalizing processes, hiring top talent, and holding reps accountable. | Coach | Hiring | Author | Speaker

11mo

March madness is a relevant analogy to sales. We have to be prepared but we also have to be flexible and agile for the unexpected! Great comparison Sandra Long!

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