Following on from the great feedback we received to one of our more irreverent posts entitled SME Owners – 7 false prophets you may have met online here is another one. This time we have focused on one of the most talked about footballers currently employed in the English Premier League.
Marketing Fundamentals Ltd does not condone the receipt of yellow or red cards or any bad behaviour on the football pitch – leaving that aside there are some clear lessons that any entrepreneur would do well to learn from Mario Balotelli. We have listed 5 of them below.
Mario Balotelli Facts – 5 Lessons
1. Be different
Business like professional football (soccer to our US readers) is a very competitive environment and it is very difficult to stand out and make an impact. No- one would dispute that Mario is different and unconventional. This is part of his appeal and can work in your favour too if your company is markedly different to your competitors. – Think about your company name, positioning, pricing, communications tools, website, logo and products or services.
2. Be unpredictable
In business and in football it’s hard to stay ahead of your competition and sustain a competitive advantage. What worked for you at the start of the year/ season might not work for you now. The double step over and reverse pass is not as effective as it once was. Cast your minds back a couple of months to the failure of Tesco’s annual Christmas price drop activity and recognise the need to be unpredictable – this is especially true for an entrepreneur.
3. Strive for excellence
In your business you should strive for excellence just as a fully fit and focused Mr Balotelli strives for excellence on the pitch. Critics would argue that a fully fit and focused Balotelli is quite rare but would agree that he rarely seems content with his achievements so far and similarly you must never become complacent with the progress made by your company.
4. Be enigmatic
There are thousands of entrepreneurs launching businesses that never capture the interest of the public at large – businesses that never become stars. When you create your business story think about building some mystery into it. Mario has this in abundance. The secrecy surrounding Coca-Cola’s original recipe protected for commercial reasons is a good example of this mystery.
5. Work well in a team but also individually
Recognise that you will not be able to do it alone and recruit a great team to support you. Your combined efforts will far outweigh anything you could have achieved individually. This is a truth that Mr Balotelli recognises – there will still be opportunities for individual responsibility but the team goals are the priority; figuratively and literally.
Are you an entrepreneur or business owner trying to promote your company? We can certainly help you. Feel free to give us a call on +44 845 2264247 or drop us an email via mail@marketingfundamentals.com
We hope you find this information useful.
Kind regards,
Marketing Fundamentals Team
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