by Mike Davenport, CoachingSportsToday.com
Years ago, I worked in New Zealand as a white-water raft guide.
We would start each trip by gathering all the customers in a large group, and then the guides would introduce ourselves. From there the customers would pick the guide they wanted for the day’s adventure.
Of the 10 guides, only two of us were Americans, the rest were locals
Our customers were also locals. On a regular basis us Yanks would get more customers wanting to ride with us than the local guides would. One day I asked my boss about this.
The two of us weren’t the best guides, or even the best looking. But truth-be-told, we continually had to turn away customers, sending them to other guides.
My boss told me it was “Because of your accents.”
He said, “You sound different, so the customers think you are better than the local fellows.”
I notice how often I do this myself, thinking new or different will be better. I’m sure that’s one reason I’m so distracted by the latest and greatest technology.
And you? How might this play into your coaching? More importantly, how about your athletes?
Are they bored with you? And if so, how could you change that?