Surely you’ve heard the phrase before…
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
And while this cliche is mostly used figuratively, it’s legitimately true in the sport of basketball.
Take Kobe Bryant for example…
He recently retired, but most would agree he was one of the greatest players in NBA history.
And that number in the subject line…?
That’s how many shots he MISSED in his career.
A couple THOUSAND more than he made…
(Side Note: I actually read about this analogy on a dating blog. YES, I’m a weirdo that studies copywriting and persuasion in other niches, to improve my OWN copywriting and persuasion.)
Many critics will point out that Kobe took A LOT of shots. They’ll say things like, “of course he scored all those points, he was a ball hog that put up 40 shots a game.”
And while I won’t argue with you that he took a lot of shots, what CAN’T be argued is that almost all of the greatest players in NBA history were known to shoot the ball a lot.
Because they know a little secret…
You’re likely going to MISS a lot more shots than you MAKE. So in order to succeed and win, you’ve gotta take a lot of shots.
When Kobe would hit a game winner, no one would remember he missed 20 shots earlier in the game.
And when he was winning back-to-back championships, no one cared that he was missing more shots than he was making.
Because the shots he MADE, were enough to make him successful, regardless of how many shots he missed.
Funny how the same is true in our businesses.
What if Kobe Bryant was scared of MISSING shots, so he just played it safe? You likely wouldn’t even know who he is.
And in our businesses, many times we’re scared to take shots, because we’re afraid of missing.
NEWSFLASH: You’re gonna miss, and you’re gonna miss a LOT.
(Side Note: The dating blog I referenced above was making the analogy of basketball and dating, because it was discussing how most men don’t succeed at dating because they are scared to approach women. But those who understand REJECTION is part of the game, are the ones who succeed. They may approach 10 women at a bar and get rejected by nine, but they end up leaving with the 10th. Meanwhile, the other dudes are leaning against the wall, scrolling their newsfeed, and wondering why it’s so hard to get a date.)
The first step is understanding that failure is likely.
Just look at the most successful entrepreneurs in the world. Most of them have MULTIPLE failed ventures. They took MULTIPLE shots and missed.
But the 1-2 shots they MADE, were more than enough to make them rich, famous, and successful.
So in closing, let me say this…
Reading blogs, browsing FB groups, attending webinars, watching YouTube videos — all that stuff is helpful.
But all those things amount to is a bunch of dribbling.
At some point, you’ve gotta SHOOT.
And while you may miss (multiple times), all it takes is one swish, and you might have found yourself a game-winner :).
Speaking of WINNERS, nowhere is this more true than in the world of eCommerce and physical products. You might test 50 products, and nothing works. Then, your 51st might be the game-winner!
Our calendar is booked up, but click here to learn more about the program, and scroll to the bottom on the scheduling page, for a way to shortcut the line :).