“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”

 Babe Ruth

I don’t about you, but this definitely makes me feel better.  I’ve feel like I’ve been swinging and missing quite a lot.  I am learning with every pitch though.  The speed of the ball.  The break of the ball.  The look of it when it leaves the pitcher’s hand.  My timing.  My swing.  My follow through.

No, I’m not really talking about baseball, I’m talking about my speaking/training/consulting business, specifically the sales process.  There are days when I feel like I’m striking out, over and over again.  Babe Ruth’s lifetime batting average was .342.  Translation, he only produced a hit about 1/3 of the time he went to the plate.  He struck out 1,330 times and hit 714 homeruns.  WOW! Dude was a savant, and he struck out almost twice as many times as he hit homeruns.  Looking at these numbers, and Babe’s huge success, it takes some of the pressure off to hit it out of the park every time.

I don’t like striking out, but as long as I learn something each time I get up to the plate, it’s a win.  If I’m just up there hacking away, don’t analyze what I’m doing, and don’t make adjustments, it’s a waste of time and a loss.  Because I’m a rookie at the selling/marketing side of the business, I have grabbed hold some great coaches to help me get better.

Whatever your field or endeavor, remember that every strike brings you closer to the next home run, as long as you learn something from it.  Don’t waste a good strike out, use it to your advantage.  I know I am!

Boo Yah!