If you’re a baseball fan, you know that even the best hitters in Major League Baseball actually get a hit significantly less than 40% of the time they step up to the plate. That obviously means they try, and fail, over 60% of the time!
Over a 60% failure rate! However, anyone that’s close to ‘only’ a 60% failure rate earns several million dollars per season!
Everyone knows… NO ONE bats a 1000!
Joe Mauer, last years best batter in the Major Leagues, averaged .365. That’s considered an extraordinary year. However, it still means that 63.5% of the time he got an ‘at bat’, he failed!
Whether you’re a baseball player, a sales person, an investor, an engineer, or in a job search… the same thing is true! You will not be successful in every call, or in every effort you make. Unfortunately, that’s not how most people approach their search.
Job seekers regularly hear that the vast majority of jobs are filled through ‘networking’. That means you have to actually connect with real people, make an introduction, and ask for referrals. Applying to positions online or some other way, and just waiting for a call are not likely to get results in today’s job market.
However, too many people make a phone call or send an email to someone new, get no response or no results, and become convinced that “networking doesn’t work for me.”
Setting expectations properly goes a long way to being able to continue on toward results. You’re not going to get a job lead or another networking referral from each person you talk to, perhaps not even from every 5 people you talk to. However, you may get a great name or lead from the 3rd, 5th, 6th, or 8th person you connect with. You’ll never get that name or lead though without getting to that 8th person. Persistence pays, and with each contact you make, you get better at your approach and your numbers improve.
Don’t get discouraged, slow down, or give up after a few ‘strikes’. Keep swinging away. The more you do, the closer you get to a base hit or a home run!
Remember, no one bats 1000!
