sports

For Love of the Game

(I started this post back in August. The first round of the playoffs have just ended in the American League. What better time to add some thoughts. Wow!  Now the Yankees and Phillies are playing.  Time to finish this and post it for your thoughts and comments.  If you’re reading this on Facebook, and you want to comment, please take the time to visit the original post.  Thanks!)

I’m a Toronto Blue Jays fan more than I am a baseball fan. Yet, I love the game of baseball and enjoy watching the playoffs even if my team is not playing. And with the current schedule and format, I’m also glad I don’t hold my breath!

Recently, there has been lots of talk and chatter about the pathetic attendance and play this year.

So, I’ve decided to come to the rescue of the Rogers-owned baseball team and offer some (free) insightful advice, thoughts and suggestions. Furthermore, because I also believe in all this openness on the interwebs, I am encouraging everyone to use this blogpost as a forum to post more suggestions and comments.

Before I share with you my thoughts, here are what others have said/reported:

Now on with the show…

  1. Rogers needs to hire a respected baseball president and general manager. And with the not-so-recent Gaston-gate, a respected manager would be a great idea. (The recent firing of JP and subsequent promotion of Alex Anthopolous is a start. However, it’s only a start. Note: And so is the recent hiring of Beeston. 🙂 )
  2. Make the Jr. Jays package more valuable than it is. Include a pair of tickets to a game a month. Give a further gift to the parents and child. Instead of asking who the child’s favourite player is and doing nothing about it, include an autogrphed picture or baseball. (Remember, this is also about growing the future fan base of the baseball team.)
  3. Flex packs on steroids. Sorry for the using the “s” word. But it is imperitive that the Jays not only continue to market the popular flex packs. They need to spice this up. I like the invitations to special events like this year’s Cito Gaston interview. Let’s continue to be creative.
  4. Where are the local, community, high school, and college/university teams? Invite them to attend games. Offer Jays packages to them.
  5. Invite season tickets holders on a Jays paid trip to Spring Training. And watch this word-of-mouth thing explode!
  6. As a father (and flex pack holder in the past) I was never invited to a Father’s Day game. Never. Fix this and take advantage of other special days. Just don’t forget to personally invite people. Rogers owns a HUGE database. Use it.
  7. Engage. With local businesses, consumers, bloggers (ahem), the online community, etc. The Toronto model for this would be the Toronto Argonauts. The Argos engage with the community at schools, with various local football clubs and businesses at trade shows. I understand that the Jays probably do the same. Let’s do more. But let’s also let others know that you’re ou there.
  8. Invite the online community (bloggers and the like) into press conferences and into the clubhouse. Your future and current fans are part of the online community. Are you there?
  9. Study what the Toronto Argos do to sell tickets and keep fans engaged.  Even thought they may put a losing team in the field, they know how to sell tickets.
  10. Remember to always thank season ticket holders and ALL purchasers of ticket packages.  And I mean more than a thank you letter.  A free pair of tickets to a game next season or a food voucher is a start.
  11. Open dome policy. Unless it rains or snows. Of course.  There’s just something about being outdoors.
  12. The Argos (yes, them again) have a Double Blue Crew that give away prizes during the game in ALL levels and are very visible. Idea?
  13. Free baseball clinics after Junior Jays games.
  14. RIM purchased 25000 tickets for their employees to the U2 concert in Toronto.  What has Rogers done for the Jays?
  15. Engage fans outside of Rogers with mobile apps and SMS.
  16. I remember buying tickets from Dominion (Metro) for $2 way back when.  Everyone goes grocery shopping.
  17. Be more involved in the community.  Collecting cans at games is great but no one knows about Jays Foundation doing stuff outside of the Dome. Are they?
  18. Invite former flex pack and season ticket holders to come back for special game.
  19. Give away more tickets via contests, Twitter, Facebook, etc…
  20. Promote your stars and make them household names.  Aaron Hill (multiple award winner this year) should be mobbed everywhere he goes.
  21. Engage more with trendy and cool brands.  Develop sponsorship opportunities for team and the stars so that young fans can “identify” with players and team.  Cool is cool.
  22. More stars at Jays games and more Jays at other professional games even during off-season.
  23. Promote your cool in game promotions (like “run the bases”) OUTSIDE of the game.  Rogers owns magazines, TV shows and radio stations.  Use them.  And the other guy’s as well.
  24. I know the Jays don’t have pin stripes.  So, stop changing uniforms and let’s try to create some nostalgia.
  25. Make every game/series a must attend event. Remember AJ Burnett’s return to face Doc earlier this year? Promote, promote, promote.
  26. Best Blue Jays commercials have been the emotional “See you at the game”. These are much better than the “You were meant to be there”.  Remember, people, especially fans, make emotional decisions.
  27. Customer service is either your best or worst marketing strategy. This department interacts everyday with fans.  Are you investing in proper training for your front line staff?
  28. Winning solves everything.

There.  That’s it for now.

I am looking forward to hearing and reading your thoughts and suggestions.  Do you agree or disagree with anything here?  Do you have any ideas of your own?  Have you read anything else from anyone on their suggestions?  Let’s start the conversation…..

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10 Things I Love about London

London, England is an amazing city to say the least. Last summer I had a chance to catch a Blue Jays game at the old Yankee Stadium in New York City. At the time I thought New York was THE city that never sleeps. Boy, was I wrong! London is right up there with New York.

To end of this blog series from London, here are my 10 favourite things about London:

  1. Size. Size is everything. London is a huge city. If you travelled from the north end of London to the south on the M25 (the circular motor/highway that encompasses London) it would take you almost an hour and a half at a speed of 100km/hr. Why do I like this? It means that there is more to see and experience: Neighbourhoods, shopping, restaurants, etc.
  2. Nandos. Is there a Nandos restaurant where you live? Maybe there is one in the city you live in. In London, Nandos is everywhere! It’s as prevelant as Swiss Chalet is in Toronto. The only difference is the tender chicken, amazing variety of Peri Peri sauces and the endless supply of Coke Zero!
  3. Charity Shops. I understand there is Variety Village and Goodwill stores in Canada. But really, would you brag about shopping at these places? In London, charity shops can be found in your local trendy shopping district. And the clothes and bargains to be found are plenty. I purchased a Zara brand suede jacket for under 4 British Pounds (that’s less than $10 Cdn!).
  4. Roundabouts. In the city where the traffic light was invented, it is hard to believe that roundabouts still exist. However, it keeps the traffic flowing. Anyone from Toronto would love that!
  5. Museums. And not just the world renowned Natural Museum with the dinasour bones. There are plenty of museums and art gallery’s in this city. And the museums are FREE. That’s right, no charge. I think Chris Anderson would like that.
  6. Public Transit. London is a city where one can literally travel anywhere, and I mean anywhere, by public transit. Public transit in London includes bus, train and underground. There are various zones and times and prices to match. For example, one could travel all night long on the famous London buses for under 5 British pounds! Or, you could use all the different options and travel with your family for up to 24 hours for under 50 British pounds. Not only is the pricing outstanding, but so is the coverage. Anywhere in London is accessible to everywhere at all times.
  7. No urban sprawl. This does not mean there are no “big” homes or green spaces. It means that London takes it’s space serious and does not waste it. For a city as huge, dense and populated as London, it’s incredible that it’s basically void of highrises.
  8. Cobblestone. There is that “something” about roads and sidewalks make of rock and stone isn’t there?
  9. Weather. London gets it’s fair share of rain and overcast days. As a Torontonian, I would swap a week of sub-zero temperatures and blowing snow for a month of rain and drizzle. It is impossible to play golf year round in Toronto. In London? Fore!
  10. People. What would a city be without it’s people? I am fortunate that I could travel to London at anytime and have a place to stay. With lots of family and friends, London easily tops my list as one of the best cities that I have ever travelled to.

What’s your favourite city (besides the one you live in)? I would love to read your thoughts!
social media

Family & Social Media

I’m in England for 2 more days. It’s partly thanks to the good folks at Flight Centre.

(Follow some of the links below to see some of the places I’ve visited on my trip “back home”.)

I’m a big fan of social media and am presently studying it to better understand it’s implications on business, the charity/non-profit world, and work. Many people use tools like Facebook and Flickr to also keep in touch with friends and family from around the world.

What do these two separate, but related, topics have in common?

Because of, in my case, Facebook, Twitter, email and YouTube, I’ve been able to “document” my life for everyone to see. And I’m not vain enough to hope that millions of people will follow me. Only those interested will – family and friends.

And as a result, I’ve also been able to keep track of the lives of my family and friends. So what do we do when we finally meet at a family wedding after years of being apart? We laugh, tell jokes, and enjoy each other’s company without having to resort to the always polite, but sometimes boring, “How are you?”, “What have you been up to?”, “My your kids have grown!”

Conversations tend to be more in depth. We don’t feel like we’ve wasted time visiting a museum , shopping or getting toys for kids. We enjoy the time while it lasts.

For example, my sister and I may see our brother once a year or maybe once every two years. However, because of the relative low cost of long-distance calls, email, Facebook, Twitter, blogs and our yearly hockey playoff pool we feel like we are in constant touch. So when it’s time to say goodbye, well, it’s not really goodbye.

It’s more of, “Talk to you later!”

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A New Friend

I’m in England as I write this post.
One of my favourite things to do these days is meeting new and interesting people. Today I had the opportunity to meet a guy who’s attempting to set SIX Guiness World Records. His name is Dave. I met him while he was rowing outside a clothing store in Basingstoke.
No, he wasn’t rowing down the River Thames. He was rowing on a stationary rowing machine, outside, in the cold and mostly damp English autumn.

So you know I had to go and ask him if he needed directions to the nearest mental facility. Turns out Dave is a great guy with an even bigger heart for people. He’s basically dedicated more than 2 years of his life, everyday, to help raise funds and attention to a worthwhile local charity.

Check out Dave’s adventures at http://www.worldrecordrow.com/ and please follow him and his adventures at http://twitter.com/worldrecordrow.

books, reading

Made to Stick

If you’re like me, even a little bit, you’ve wondered why certain ideas or images have stuck in your mind for many years. One of the things that has stuck with me is the old McDonald’s jingle about the Big Mac. I don’t remember the last time I saw or heard this commercial, but it sticks with me to this day.

Brothers, Dan and Chip Heath’s 2007 book, Made To Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and others Die seeks to explain this phenomenon. Most interesting, they outline the steps necessary to make ideas or stories or even marketing strategies successful:

  1. Simple
  2. Unexpected
  3. Concrete
  4. Credibility
  5. Emotion
  6. Stories

This book is filled with stories, anecdotes and simple explanations on how we all can (either professionally or personally) ensure that our ideas remain in our audience’s mind years later.

I highly recommend this book. If you’re a coach leading a team, this book will help you understand what will make your players remember what they should be focusing on. If you’re a parent trying to understand how to make your kid complete her homework , you will find invaluable tips. If you’re a marketing professional, this book will ensure that your strategy becomes successful. No matter the profession, this is a book that will help you deal with the people around.

Try it you’ll like it!

Do you have a favourite book? Have you read Made to Stick? Thoughts and comments are welcomed. Especially on the original post.

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#Summit09

LTD, or Leadership Team Development is a training and mentorship team that equips and empowers the entrepreneur through a business system of duplication and more importantly, includes education and mentoring from leaders in the industry. This weekend, they are holding a conference and recognition event in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Want to follow a few LTD independent business owners this weekend?

Then check out the #Summit09 twitter feed.

Have a great weekend folks!

books

What goes up

…must come down.

Unless you’re Roger “Rocket” Clemens.

Probably one of baseball’s greatest pitchers, Rocket, has pursued the title of ‘ best ever” for as long as he has known the game.

In The Rocket That Fell To Earth: Roger Clemens and the Rage for Baseball Immortality, Jeff Pearlman introduces us to Rocket and many of the characters that surrounded him during his playing days in Major League Baseball.

I’ve never really been a fan of Rocket. Even when he played for my Toronto Blue Jays. I was always indifferent to him. However, after reading this fascinating tale about why Rocket did what he did (from visiting kids in the hospital, to taking steroids and everything else in between) I have a new found respect for him.

Why, you may ask. Because of his drive and intensity to succeed. Because of his respect for his elder brother and mother. Because of his compassion towards children. He won’t ever be my favourite player but this book did give me a different persective.

There is alot in this book. Jeff is not hell-bent on destroying the image of Rocket. Neither is he a Rocket apologist. Yes, you’ll read about his affairs and his use of PEDs. However, if you’re looking for a story of substance and not just tabloid fodder, this is the book.

I hope you enjoy.

Have you ever read a book which changed your perspective on someone? Tell me about it. Your comments are always welcome.

(image courtesy of www.hipolitodesigns.com)
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Rock your audience like the Jonas Brothers

Last night I had the opportunity to study the Jonas Brothers with 56,000 raving fans at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. That’s right. Study them. Contrary to popular belief, I am not a fan of their music. Although, I must confess, they did put on one heck of a show on Sunday night.

Which brings me to the focus of this post. There were more people there than the last concert I went to at the Rogers Centre: Coldplay. Granted, at least 15% in attendance last night were parents or older siblings chaperoning the young ones. But I digress.

What I witnessed Sunday night was astounding. A band that held the audience in the palm of their hands for almost 2 hours. A band that provoked screams of delight from every word they sang or spoke. A band that prompted many fans to pay upwards of $400 for a floor seat, gift bag and a special meet and greet and sound check 5 hours before the brothers took stage.

What made this concert a sell-out? Why are the Jonas Brothers a success?

Here are FIVE things I took away from the concert:

  1. Be emotional. During the show, one of the brothers (the one who plays guitar, piano and drums) spoke about his diabetes diagnosis and how he was determined never to let that stop him from pursuing his dream. I mean, the guy is younger than 30 and he spoke about how us “kids” should never quit. Pursue your dream. Well, his audience ate it up. And it’s a good message too. What emotions does your audience have? Are they excited for you? Or do they want to pull their hair out after you’ve spoken to them?
  2. Know your audience. The brother’s know who their audience is. It’s not people who like Coldplay or U2 or even Neil Young. It’s not the Y generation. And because they know their audience they play to them. They put out movies and TV shows to sell to their demographic – girls under 15. Who is your audience? Do you know or are you just throwing mud against the wall to see what sticks?
  3. Thank those who pay. I doubt any 14 year old girl or boy has $400 to shell out for a concert. But their parents do. And so the Jonas Brothers thanked the parents by playing a Neil Diamond song and thanking the parents for bringing their kids. Don’t forget to thank those who help pay your bills. You may even want to sing them a song.
  4. Invite others to participate. Please don’t ask me to name the groups or why don’t I remember the names of the other performers because I don’t know. What I do know, however, is that the Jonas Brothers had 3 opening acts. Another boy band and a couple of other girl fronted groups. During the main set though, various members of these groups played with the Jonas Brothers. And it seemed to raise the decibel level of the stadium to even greater heights. Wow. In business, I think it’s very important to encourage clients, partners and other stake holders to participate. It can be as simple as asking your clients their opinion of your work.
  5. Dream. This is important. The Rogers Centre call fit 50,000+ people in it. And the boy band of the moment filled it. I wonder if the Blue Jays heard about this…


These are 5 take aways that I know every business, organization, institution, family and club can use to help them “rock their audience.” What are you doing to “rock” yours?

twitter

August Lesson – Freedom

At least once per month I will highlight a business, life or even funny lesson here. My purpose is not to teach nor preach but to share some of the crumbs I’ve gathered from other people’s tables.


Have you ever read the book, The Alchemist? It’s a great read by author Paulo Coelho. You should check it out. As a result of me reading this book many years ago coupled with my recent interest in all things Twitter, I have started to “follow” Paulo. He offers insight and inspiration to everyone.

In fact one of his quotes really got me thinking. Here it is:

@paulocoelho: 26/08: Freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability to choose your task in life

That’s deep. Many people have given their opinions on what freedom is. Is it simply retiring from work and watching game shows? Is it stopping a job to start a business? My mom “retired” a while ago. Not by choice mind you. But she’s been busier than ever taking care of our grandmother, son and doing a variety of volunteer work.

So, when I came across this quote it hit me because this makes the most sense.

Freedom is the ability to choose your task in life. So, while I’m not free yet, I know that I’m working my way towards it.

I would love to know your thoughts on this. With this quote in mind, do you consider yourself free? If so, why? If not, are you working towards your freedom?

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Inspirational People – Getting Married

I’ve had a chance to attend three weddings so far this summer. My wife and I have another one to attend later this year.

There is something about getting married that is inspirational.

My last friends to get married, A and H, come from a background where people don’t usually get married. They come from the “bad side” of town. They come from a generation where getting married means the guy must have gotten the girl in trouble with an unplanned kid on the way.

So, to defy the odds and get married because of love and commitment is something to raise a glass to.

Which is what I did when I offered the bride and groom a toast.

May all of the newlyweds this year live a life of prosperity, love, laughter and fun…together.