Letter on the Third — March 2020
Dear Datamax Family,
It was about 105 degrees in Chicago on a July 1969 afternoon, the Cubs were in last place, and as the great Ernie Banks entered the clubhouse, he noticed a group of downtrodden teammates. What he said next captured the Hall of Famer’s infectious enthusiasm for his chosen profession.
“Everyone was sitting around, and I said ‘Beautiful day. Let’s play two!” Ernie later recalled. “Everyone looked at me like I was crazy.” But writers in the room took note, and the phrase has stuck ever since.
I’ve been a devoted Chicago Cubs fan for most of my life. As kids, we used to clean a section at Wrigley Field to get tickets for the next day’s game. As every Spring Training emerged, it stirred up feelings of optimism for the coming year. This month, as both Spring Training and our Datamax Kick Off Events coincide, just a few thoughts on baseball and business technology:
Spring Training is a time for preparation. On ball fields in Florida and Arizona, players are cleaning their spikes, setting up their bats, veterans are perfecting their craft while rookies hustle for a spot on this season’s roster. What are we doing to prepare at Datamax? If you’re about to make that sales presentation, have you gone through your Powerpoint the day before? Have you tested the equipment? As a collections specialist, have you done your due diligence on the customer and their unique situation before you pick up the phone? On a service ticket, have you ensured you have the right parts with you? Getting a jump on that call is going to Create that Raving Fan.
Every ballpark is unique. Every ballpark has a different nuance about it (Wrigley Field’s ivy-covered brick outfield wall, Boston’s Green Monster). So does every customer. Their budget, their challenges, and their goals are all unique to them. Our role is not to just tell customers what’s new. It’s to find out what makes them unique, what they want to accomplish, and ways they’d like to see technology work to their advantage.
Consistency is key. Former owner of the Cleveland Indians Bill Veeck once quipped, “The season starts too early and finishes too late and there are too many games in between.” Yes, the baseball season is long – too long some would say. To sustain hot streaks and to prevent mid-season slumps, consistency is our best formula for success. You can’t have a great week and then struggle for the next two months. Plan out your day. Don’t procrastinate. Develop your routine. Maintain that energy for a consistent effort the entire season.
Enthusiasm is infectious. To me, it comes down to finding the right players, putting them in the right position, and filling that team with collective enthusiasm for the game. When those things connect over the course of a season, it’s amazing what can happen.
Our formula for Creating a Raving Fan? “Expertise plus execution plus a whole lot of enthusiasm for what we do.” Let’s emulate Ernie’s enthusiasm for our chosen profession. Beautiful day. Let’s play two! The Best is Yet to Be.
Your Raving Fan,
