Millions of people around the world tuned into the Games of 
the XXVII Olympiad for the extraordinary displays of physical 
strength and prowess offered by the world's greatest athletes. 
They weren't disappointed.

Neither were the savvy business entrepreneurs who watched the 
games from Athens for insights and ideas to advance their 
marketing efforts.  

What do the Olympics have to do with marketing, you ask?  

Plenty... if you consider that the same strategies that led to 
victory on the track and in the field in Athens this year can 
also be used to bring you world-class success in your sales 
efforts. Here's how:


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A Sprinter's Strategy - Hold Nothing Back
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For the short distances that sprinters cover, a burst of speed 
that never lets up is the winning strategy that leads to gold 
medals. From the instant they hear the starting gun, sprinters 
put every ounce of available energy into a full-out, full-speed, 
nothing-held-back run for the finish line. 

The headline of your marketing message needs to be  as explosive 
as a sprinter's start... and twice as fast.

Consumers are hit with thousands of advertising "pitches" every 
day. They probably ignore as many as they notice. In order for 
your message to hit the mark, it needs to come out of the gate 
strong with all the power you can muster.

Sprinters bulk up on carbs for energy to win the race. Headlines 
bulk up on benefits, arouse curiosity, present what's new, and 
offer a quick and easy solution to win the hearts and minds of 
consumers.


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A Marathoner's Strategy - Pace Yourself
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A runner who comes "off the blocks" at break-neck speed and 
expects to go the distance in a marathon may pass competitors 
early on, but he/she will likely run out of steam long before 
the finish line. To stay in the race for 26 long and grueling 
miles, you need a carefully modulated and always flexible 
strategy

A "Big Picture" perspective is also what's required to keep your 
business in the race for years to come.

If you model your approach on the marathoner, use short-term 
initiatives to get you through "the first mile" (free gifts to 
customers) and you'll have far-reaching plans to make sure that 
you're still going strong at Mile 26(upselling, back-end sales, 
etc.)

Just as importantly, you'll have a flexible approach to all 
your strategies. A marathoner never knows what's around the 
next corner, and neither do you. (In business, only hindsight 
is 20/20.) So be prepared to "go with the flow," and make 
changes in both your short- and long-term plans.


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The Hurdler's Strategy - Clearing All Obstacles
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When the race starts, a hurdler needs to know in advance the 
obstacles that are going to come along -- when, where, how big 
-- so that he/she has the right strategy in place to leap over 
each and every one... before making the last dash to the finish 
line.  

A successful marketer must be able to hurdle sales resistance...
in every way, shape, and form.

When you craft a marketing message, you need to anticipate why 
a consumer might say "No" -- too expensive, too risky... and 
then help them "hurdle" that obstacle with a bonus, benefit or 
iron-clad guarantee.


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A Relay Racer's Strategy - One Step at a Time
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They say there's no "I" in team, and the relay race demonstrates 
the importance of a group of individuals working together like 
a well-oiled machine to achieve the highest level of success. 
In order for the team effort to work in the end, a series of 
carefully executed "hand-offs" are required.    

Pass the baton in your sales message with a flow of benefits and 
resistance-killers that seamlessly move the customer from "start"
to "finish" (aka a purchase)

A well-crafted sales message starts with an irresistible 
headline that "hands off" to a compelling opening paragraph, 
that in turn leads to benefit-oriented lists, testimonials, 
ordering, instructions, etc.  The key is that as each section 
draws to the end of its "run," it passes the baton to the next 
section in line without every losing the consumer's interest 
and attention.


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The High Jumper's Strategy - Raise the Bar
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There's only one way to win in this event -- jump the highest. 
If your competitor jumps 7-feet in the air, you must be prepared 
to go to 7'1".  You won't be a winner if you equal your 
competitor's efforts...you need to do better.

Don't be content to be "as good as" when it comes to what you 
offer. Raise the bar to a new level that your competition can't 
surpass.

If your competition is offering shoes at "Buy 1 pair, get a 2nd 
pair at 50% off," then you should offer "Buy 1, get 1 free."  If 
the "other guy" is offering a mechanical product, then you can 
offer the same product but include "free annual service call."  


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The Long Jumper's Strategy - Go Further
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Long jumpers seem to defy the laws of gravity -- flying through 
space high above the ground. Like high jumpers, medal-worthy 
long jumpers must put in the extra effort it takes to go beyond 
what their competitors are able to achieve.  And they don't win 
by miles; they win by feet... by inches... by tenths of an inch.  

An extended warranty or guarantee is the best way to "out 
distance" your competitor... regardless of how much further you 
ultimately go.

You don't have to be twice as good as "Brand X," but you must 
be better.  If they offer a 12-month warranty, then you should 
offer 18 months.  If their "free trial period" is 30 days, make 
yours 90. And don't be worried that your "we go further" offers 
will bankrupt you. Studies show that expanded guarantees help 
convince many people to buy... even though few take advantage of 
the guarantee.

It's good to know that even if you'll never be an Olympian...
even if you can't bench press 500 lbs. or run a mile in under 
4 minutes...you can still "go for the gold" -- by the bar... by 
the box... by the Brinks Truck full!  Just translate what you've 
learned from the sports arena to the business arena!