Golf and federal sales are more similar than you think.
I live on the 7th hole of a golf course, a relatively short par-4. For those less passionate about golf, par is determined, assuming one will take two putts once on the green. For a par-4, that means you must get to the green in two shots. Sounds easy, right? It should be.
The 7th hole has a small environmental area in the final 50 yards to the hole. Environmental areas sometimes protect waterways, flora, or fauna. In this case, it’s a small drainage stream to navigate; if your ball goes in there, it’s gone, and your only remedy is to take the one-stroke penalty by placing a new ball in play.
A good tee shot will leave the average golfer with a less-than-100-yard second shot to the narrow green, considered pretty easy. Due to the environmental area, the challenge here is that the golfer must carry the ball’s flight over the hazard and bring the ball to a stop on this narrow green.
I occasionally work from my balcony overlooking the 7th hole and routinely witness players missing their opportunity. Most players either come up short into the environmental area or are considerably long, landing the ball behind the green. The average score on this hole, over the thousands of times it has been played, exceeds par.
How can this be? In this day and age, golfers have a GPS distance to the green on their wrist or in their cart. They know the exact yardage they must carry the ball, yet miss short and long routinely.
The answer – they don’t believe their indications. The distance, wind impact, and club selection for the distance are either knowable or are within the golfer’s control. Most golfers overestimate their ability to carry the hazard, or they choose the wrong club for the distance because they don’t really know their club distances and go long. They misinterpret the impact of the wind. Taken together, they fail to believe their indications.
Unfortunately, it’s not a whole lot different in the decisions surrounding federal sales.
The information is available. The process to succeed is knowable. The indications are present at every turn. Many choose the wrong club for where they are in the process, to carry the golf metaphor through. They fail to believe their indications.
I can’t help you with your golf game, but I understand how to fund your government sale.
Even the best professional golfers are humble enough or hungry enough to have coaches. Don’t go through it alone in your federal sales. Get some help interpreting the indications.
Gene Moran will guide you to achieve the federal funding you need. Want to learn more? Schedule a call with Gene.
If you would like to purchase a copy of Gene’s Amazon bestselling book and understand the three strategic rings of the federal funding and policy circus, click here: Pitching the Big Top: How to Master the 3-Ring Circus of Federal Sales
