Practical advice for businesses from a baseball maverick.
I’m a baseball purist. I believe the game should be played respectably without showing up your opponent. Back in my day, a high five was considered excessive celebration. Although, in recent years, I’ve come to appreciate the occasional bat flip.
So, I was skeptical the first time I saw Banana Ball. Banana Ball is a twist on baseball, focusing on entertainment and a faster pace of play. It’s played by the Savannah Bananas, a barnstorming baseball team that tours around with their rival team, the Party Animals.
Banana Ball is not your dad’s baseball. It incorporates nine rule changes to keep things moving. There’s a two-hour time limit, and batters can’t step out of the batter’s box or bunt.
When I watch the Bananas, I’m reminded of a meeting I had eighteen years ago with my father-in-law, Howard Meade. Howard retired from a distinguished career in business consulting. He shared a presentation with me titled “Account Management Excellence,” which included a phrase that’s stuck with me to this day:
“Our aim should be super-pleased customers; satisfied customers are insufficient.”
To deliver an exceptional customer experience, we must exceed expectations with every interaction.
Jesse Cole has done just that with the Savannah Bananas. Banana Ball is all about putting the fans first. It prioritizes entertainment. You might see players dancing on the field between innings or doing outrageous stunts like putting a pitcher on stilts and sending a batter to the plate with a flaming bat.
Cole encourages businesses to “stop chasing customers and start creating fans!” Customers are transactional, but fans are forever.
The term “fan” originated from the word “fanatic” and was first recorded in 1885 to refer to “baseball die-hards.” It eventually expanded to include all forms of entertainment.
Cole preaches three core components for creating loyal fans:
#1 Eliminate Friction
Begin by recognizing and eradicating obstacles within your customer journey. Step into your customers’ shoes and discern the barriers impeding their interactions with your brand and your rivals. Cole’s firsthand immersion in the baseball game attendee experience highlighted the shared frustrations among participants.
Micro-frictions, such as exorbitant prices for concessions and lengthy treks from parking areas, can swiftly accumulate, repelling customers. To embody the essence of a “friction fighter,” leaders must immerse themselves in the customer journey, addressing and resolving these pressing issues head-on.
#2 Understand What Business You’re Really In
“What business are you in? What business are you really in?” These questions encourage you to move beyond focusing solely on your products and consider the importance of building relationships. To cultivate loyal supporters, you must aim for people to perceive you not just as another vendor but as a distinctive and reliable partner.
Differentiation is crucial. Set yourself apart from competitors and embrace the challenging journey of discovering your strengths. Leaders should empower themselves to take unconventional approaches and then motivate and empower their teams to do the same.
#3 Experiment Constantly
To stand out from the crowd and create fans, you must try new things. While many teams stick to the basics like T-shirts and hats, the Savannah Bananas took it a step further by introducing their own unique product: Official Dolce Banana underwear. These flew off the shelves consistently, adding to their fanbase.
Is Banana Ball “real baseball?” In some ways, it’s better. The games are faster, and they have a broader appeal to the average fan, especially young ones, which is something baseball is desperately trying to do.
Companies should not be content with merely having customers—they should strive to create raving fans. Howard Meade said it best, “It begins on the first contact with the customer. Every interaction maintains or changes those expectations.”
How much of a difference does an exceptional customer experience make? The Savannah Bananas have a ticket waitlist of more than 2 million fans and recently sold out Major League ballparks in Houston and Boston, proving that putting their fans first doesn’t just make games fun; it’s good business.
