What difference does four seconds make?
Years ago while in high school, I took fourth place in the two-mile event in our conference’s annual track meet.
Two miles is eight long laps. In that race I ran one of my best times. But it wasn’t good enough. Our team took second in that big event that day.
We wanted first – something that we were hoping for all season.
And we lost it by one point.
Furthermore, if I had overtaken the guy just in front of me our high school would have won it all among the eight schools.
The guy just in front of me was from the school that won the championship, the newer suburban school that shamed all other teams by its superior winning record in almost all sports.
If we had won, it would have been a great honor for our school, which usually didn’t win big in track.
And the guy in front of me finished only three seconds ahead of me.
All it took was for me was to run four seconds faster.
Four seconds, and the glory to our school would have been assured. And I would have sported a big mercury foot badge for my jock jacket.
Last year of coaching
If that doesn’t rub salt in the wound, our team had been prepping all season to win conference. It was special because it was the last year of our track coach’s leadership before he retired.
If we won, he could hang up his clipboard and whistle in victory.
All season, we wanted this badly for the coach.
As a 15-year-old, I recall our coach standing before us each day before practice. Fifty guys slapping the rubber mat, yelling out in unison, “Conference, conference….”
The excitement was palpable.
We were going to win this one for him.
But in the end, we had to settle for second.
No one blamed me. After all, I had captured fourth place, the position that my coach had informed me about. I was the top distance runner on the team, running as a sophomore on the varsity level. Each contestant had to earn his points to win the team victory.
Just a few seconds
Every business that wins must keep its eye on the victory just in front of them. It might take only a bit more effort to win. One more extra phone call, an email written, a great idea put into effect.
And a memorable but unfortunate failure can even be a benefit.
That’s because even if you win big in some way in business or in life, humility can keep your hubris in check. It helps to know that in some way you are staring into the back of the guy just in front of you. That you have weaknesses that you must overcome.
What we bring to home care
Our Client Acquisition Program here at Savvy Senior Marketing is run with a constant eye on what could be done better, more effectively, more efficiently. Looking for new ideas. Or using the old ones better. Always looking to see how we can better reach the social workers and discharge planners who can refer their patients to your home care agency.
Our program consists of setting up appointments for you, and keeping in touch with these prospects with various types of media. We want these referral partners to know you, and know how your home care can deliver the goods for their patients, to keep you name top-of-mind with them.
Our system works best with successful privately-owned home care companies which are not constrained by a corporate-mandated budget.
Learn about our system and how it could work for your home care agency.
Why not use this marketing method to bring in more clients and customers? Get in touch with us at Savvy Senior Marketing by making an appointment for a free 20-minute phone consult, or by sending us an email.
