10 Business Lessons to Learn From Baseball

America's favorite pastime isn't great just for enjoyment and relaxation purposes; it's also the source of numerous life and business lessons. After all, some of our culture's most popular sayings ("You can't win 'em all," "He really hit a home run that time," and "He was out before he reached first base.")

Filled with memorable characters and fantastic rags-to-riches stories, baseball is more than just a sport for millions of people. There are many valuable lessons you can learn through this magnificent activity. Whether you've spent hours in the dugout or in the stands, of if you don't know an RBI from HBO, you'll find a lot of great inspiration, and maybe even a smile or two.

Lesson Number One: It's a Long Season

The Major League Baseball season stretches from April to October, and includes over 160  regular league games. And that doesn't include pre-season scrimmages or playoff match-ups. With each game lasting an approximate 2.5 hours, that's a lot of time on the diamond!

What happens in the first inning of the first game in the pre-season has little bearing on who the pennant winner will be.What happens in the first inning of the first game in the pre-season has little bearing on who the pennant winner will be.
The season lasts a long, long (and some say TOO long) time. By the time the season wraps up, the average batter has been in the box over 500 times. Sometimes they get a hit, but more often, they get out. But that first time up to bat doesn't set the tone for their season - unless they let it.

Business is the same way. While any one "pitch," customer interaction, or promotion may seem of the utmost importance -- and it is, in that moment -- in the overall scheme of things, it is only one piece of a larger mosaic. Yes, great players play hard every pitch, but they also know how to pace themselves and shake off a missed strike and move ahead.

In your business, you need that perspective. Yes, you want to hit a home run each and every time you are at bat, and you want to make a play every time the game comes your way, but chances are you are going to flub a few easy pop-ups, and miss a few easy strikes. That is just the nature of the game.chances are you are going to flub a few easy pop-ups, and miss a few easy strikes. That is just the nature of the game.

Sometimes, your perfectly crafted sales page does not convert. Sometimes, an unhappy customer remains unhappy no matter how hard you try to fix the situation. Sometimes, a great product doesn't sell well. Sometimes you can figure out why, while other times you just have to let it go and move forward, realizing that you will have hundreds of other interactions and opportunities to make your season a winning one.

To put things in perspective, the best hitters in baseball typically have a batting average of around .300. That means every ten times they get up to bat, they fail to get on base seven times. And these are the best of the best! Even the venerable Babe Ruth had a lifetime batting average of only .342. To put things in perspective, the best hitters in baseball typically have a batting average of around .300. That means every ten times they get up to bat, they fail to get on base seven times. And these are the best of the best! Even the venerable Babe Ruth had a lifetime batting average of only .342.

On a team level, most clubs are striving for a winning season -- meaning they win more than they lose. That should be your goal, too -- to win more than you lose. And when you do lose -- clients, accounts, mailing list subscribers -- dust your cleats off and try again.

Lesson Number Two: Play All Nine Innings

The last lesson taught us the importance of not letting one bad pitch, inning, or game ruin your season. This lesson is an extension of that -- not giving up too soon, and also not getting comfortable in what appears to be an easy win.

Nine innings includes 54 outs, hundreds of pitches, and dozens of plays. Thinking at the bottom of the first that you don't have a chance to come from behind is a mistake. One Little League team in our town overcame a 13-point deficit at the bottom of the sixth inning (they play six innings in Little League) to come back and win the game. At the pro level, just a few years ago the Colorado Rockies scored nine runs in the bottom of the 9th to win 12-9 over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Stories of business comebacks are no less rare or impressive. Target came back from near-obscurity to take on discount retailer Wal-Mart. Apple was almost belly-up when Steve Jobs returned to re-invigorate the company. Vans shoe company was limping along until it became the footwear of choice for a generation of skateboarders. Comebacks happen, even in the ninth inning -- and beyond.Comebacks happen, even in the ninth inning -- and beyond.

Of course, the reverse is true. For every comeback kid, there is a losing team. The story of the Rockies' win could be turned upside-down and told as a cautionary tale of the Cardinals LOSING in the ninth inning. IBM, apparently entrenched as the "safe" choice for computers, couldn't hold its own and, until it reinvented itself as a services corporation, was a shadow of its previous self. Companies getting too comfortable in their role as market leader are a dime a dozen -- and their stock might be soon be trading for little more than that.

The lesson for small businesses is obvious: It ain't over until it's over. Whether you're struggling mightily to stay afloat or you think your business is set on auto-pilot, take heed. Anything can happen, and that's why the game has nine innings. If the outcome was certain, we could all pack up and go home at the bottom of the first.

Don't become too discouraged by an apparent loss, and don't become too comfortable with a certain win. A change of pitcher -- or a change in the economy or market conditions -- can work in your favor or against you. A new customer can change the whole game, as can a new competitor. You never know what the other team has up its sleeve.

Playing all nine is synonymous with doing your best, even when defeat -- or victory -- seems certain. It is the mindset of a winnerPlaying all nine is synonymous with doing your best, even when defeat -- or victory -- seems certain. It is the mindset of a winner
, who knows that losing an inning, a game, or even a season doesn't mean much when looking ahead to next  year.

Lesson Number Three: You Have to Swing to Get a Hit

It was little Joey's first season in Little League Majors. He was only 10, but he was facing pitchers two years older and 20 pounds heavier than he was, and it showed. Being a smart, if not big, kid, he figured he'd play it safe. He knew that even though they were much more experienced than he was, many of the pitchers couldn't throw consistent strikes. If he just stood there and didn't swing, maybe he'd get lucky and get walked.

His first time up to bat, it worked. After three balls and two strikes, the pitcher threw a fourth ball for a walk. He was on base, and he even managed to score a run when the kid behind him hit a home run.

His strategy worked so well, he decided to try it again the next time he was up. This time, he made it to a full count again, but the sixth pitch was a called strike, and he walked back to the dugout for an out. Still, he was one for two for getting on base.

The next inning was about the same -- he stood there as three straight strikes went right by him. He was out again. Still, scoring one run in his first Major League game wasn't too bad -- was it?

After the game, the coach went over everyone’s batting average. Joey was a little surprised when the coach read his name aloud and said, “Zero.” Zero? How could you have a “zero” batting average? Hadn’t he scored a run? His coach saw the confusion and hurt on his face, and after the treats had been handed out, he pulled the little boy aside. “Coach,” said Joey. “I don’t understand. How do I have zero?”

The coach put his arm around Joey’s small shoulders and leaned in close. “Son, you have to swing to get a hit.”

You have to swing to get a hit. Those words reverberated in Joey’s brain. Maybe it wasn’t enough to get on base just because the pitcher threw balls. Maybe he did have to take a risk to get in the game.

You know how the story ends – the next game, Joey went in there swinging. Over the course of the season, he hit some, he got out some, he missed some. But he never forgot his coach’s wise words: You’ve got to swing to get a hit.

The same is true in business. Sure, you can score every once in a while because your competition is so bad that customers will choose anything else. But to really be a superstar and make something happen, you’ve got to get a hit. And to get a hit, you have to swing. It’s as simple as that. Sure, you can score every once in a while because your competition is so bad that customers will choose anything else. But to really be a superstar and make something happen, you’ve got to get a hit. And to get a hit, you have to swing. It’s as simple as that.

Lesson Number Four: The Better You Do, the More Fun It Is

Some might say that professional athletes have the best job in the world. They get paid to play a game that many millions of people only dream about doing! They spend the day in the sun, with thousands of fans screaming their names and wearing their jersey number. How cool is that?

It is pretty cool – but only if you’re winning. If you’re in a hitting slump or your team is in the midst of a losing streak, suddenly, the sport you love isn’t that much fun. And of course, the converse is true: The better you’re doing, the more fun it is!

Translate that to the business arena. When you’re in that golden space where every product you release is a hit and your customers love you, everything is fun – even paying the bills and emptying the garbage. But when your bank balance is hovering near the red and every phone call is another unhappy client, everything seems like a choreWhen you’re in that golden space where every product you release is a hit and your customers love you, everything is fun – even paying the bills and emptying the garbage. But when your bank balance is hovering near the red and every phone call is another unhappy client, everything seems like a chore
, including the tasks you usually adore.

It is possible to make a mental shift – in fact, it’s imperative that you do so. You can’t afford the luxury of a negative attitude, so here’s how to make things more fun when it all seems to be going wronghere’s how to make things more fun when it all seems to be going wrong
:

1. Focus on small successes. Did you meet a tough deadline, get a nice thank-you email, or release a new product? Recognize and celebrate these achievements, however small.
2. Downplay the bad parts. Remind yourself that everything seems worse when your attitude is bad. Give yourself a reality check: Was the tone of that call from your partner as negative as you thought, or is your poor mental state coloring your perceptions?
3. Choose to believe. As the famous author and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl wrote, “Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances.” You have the right and the obligation to choose your attitude – so why not choose a positive one?
4. Do what you love. If you truly love your job in a broad sense, then the little annoyances (like emptying the garbage!) are just part of the overall mission. In other words, the more you love the big stuff, the less the little stuff matters.

No professional athlete lasts long if they don’t have mental toughness that allows them to continue on, even when times get bad. As a businessperson, you need to cultivate that same mental toughness in yourself.

Lesson Number Five: Ignore the Hecklers

Have you ever watched a professional baseball game and seen an athlete just go off on a fan in the stands who went just a little too far in his taunting? It’s not a pretty sight. And no matter how abusive the heckler was, the athlete is the one who ends up looking bad.

Right or wrong, the assumption is that athletes are expected to rise above the crowd, not allowing the taunts, jeers, and comments to get to him. After all, the athlete is getting paid; the fan isn’t.

This situation is similar to what businesspeople face. You’ve heard the phrase, “The customer is always right – even when they’re wrong.” That means that you sometimes have to bite your tongue and move forward, even when an objective observer would say you were “right.” Here are five reasons you should always take the high roadfive reasons you should always take the high road
:

1. You gain karma. Putting positive energy into the universe will bring positive experiences back to you.
2. You never know what’s happening behind the scenes. The person screaming at the center fielder may just have found out he has colon cancer and is venting his fear. The person sending you a nasty email may have just found out her daughter is suffering from epilepsy. Giving others an undeserved helping of grace might help them when they need it most.
3. You can’t really “win.” With customers (and heckling fans) you never win, even if you “win.” Don’t get into a spitting contest when squashing them like a bug will just make you look bad.
4. You won’t waste time or energy. Some people are just grumpy, looking for some place to blow off steam. Fighting back only fuels the fire. Direct your energy where it can be put to best use.
5. Your mom was right. Remember when she told you that the people talking behind your back were just jealous? A lot of times, that’s true. The fact that people are aiming their squirt guns your way is a sign that you’re succeeding, and the more you succeed, the more it will happen.

Yes, it’s hard to ignore the hecklers. But here are some ways you can block out the jeers and taunts:

1. Imagine them as little children. If a two-year-old was throwing a tantrum, you’d treat them with more compassion and less anger, so imagine them that way.
2. Breathe deep. When you think you’re being attacked, it’s easy to fall into that “fight or flight” response. Breathing deeply helps clear the adrenaline from your body.
3. Bring in a third party. If a response is required and you cannot answer without anger or emotion, have an objective third party answer for you. Many business people outsource their customer support email for this particular reason.

Your time and energy is precious; invest it where you’ll get good things in return.