Momentum
Chances are, you’ve never heard of John B McLendon, JR. But, if you’ve seen 48 minutes of basketball, you’ve more than likely seen his work. It’s everywhere. McLendon made three key contributions to basketball.
I.
On March 12, 1944, McLendon organized and coached the first integrated basketball game in college history. He wanted to know if his North Carolina Eagles could beat the esteemed Duke Medical basketball team. So, he invited the Southern Conference champs to the North Carolina College gym, closed the doors and the games began.
The Secret Game was played with no spectators, sorta like what the NBA is mulling in a pandemic environment. The game between North Carolina and Duke Medical wasn’t even close. McLendon’s team won by 44 points.
With the support of his mentor, Dr. James Naismith (known to you as the inventor of basketball), McLendon challenged the notion of sports segregation. And, he did so at a time when he could have been killed for defying Jim Crow laws.
II.
Also, McLendon revolutionized the game of basketball by inventing one of the most important offensive strategies, the fast break offense.
McLendon was so synonymous with the fast break that he earned the nickname Mr. Fast Break. McLendon wrote the fast break bible, Fast Break Basketball: Fundamentals and Fine Points in 1965.
Yet, fifty years later, the fast break is still employed by many teams in the NBA (including my beloved Houston Rockets).
III.
Finally, McLendon also developed one of the most important defensive schemes in basketball, the full-court press.
The full court press is a unique concept.
A basketball team engages all five players on the floor to exert maximum pressure on the opponent. Their aim is to force the other team into a mistake, thereby generating a turnover.
But.
But, the turnover is not the goal.
It’s merely a means to an end.
The real goal of the full-court press is to score an easy basket. And, maybe generate some momentum.
It’s opportunistic.
In marketing, as in basketball, the goal is to engage all your key players in order to produce a positive outcome for the team.
The full-court press, applied wisely, can help you increase awareness, reach more people and generate a burst of momentum.
What does this mean for you?
It means that you unlock all your channels: social media, web, email, search, print and direct them toward a common goal.
All at the same time.
Here are some examples:
Product launch: You just launched a new product or product line.
Campaign offer: You rolled out a new offer.
Influence: You have something important to say.
Makeover: You redesigned your website.
Celebration: You’re celebrating someone or something.
I could go on.
There are dozens more scenarios.
The key is not to waste an opportunity.
Start with the end in mind. What outcome do you seek?
A full-court press has a specific, measurable, attainable and time-bound outcome: Can we get a turnover from the other team before the shot clock expires? And if so, how many points can we score?
Two?
Maybe three?
Your desirable outcome could be to reach 100 people with your new message, put 10 leads in your pipeline or get 50 shares on social media.
Of course, those are still just the means to an end.
Get clear about the real goal. Then, activate all your channels at once.
Go press.