"King James" as he's called by the media is one of the greatest players of all time, and there's a method behind his madness. When his natural ability reaches its limit, LeBron continues to improve, using a few simple but effective life principles that can be directly applied to your marketing efforts.

Here they are...

1. Have a practice schedule (and stick to it)

Not every day is great. Sometimes, we wake up and don't feel the motivation to get work done. But a schedule will help ensure that even on those days what needs to get done gets done. Having a schedule and sticking to it actually makes us feel good because checking things off of a to-do list releases serotonin—a chemical stimulant produced by our bodies.

In 2010, Lebron James was already established as force in the league, but he had a problem shooting three pointers: Just 33% of his long-range shots were going in. Knowing an improvement had to be made; he hit the gym—hard. Increasing his daily shooting dramatically and jacking up hundreds of threes every day, he stuck with an intense shooting schedule for two years as the results trickled in... slowly.

In the first year, he showed an improvement of three percentage points to his shot percentage; in the second, an improvement of four percentage points. We have yet to see how far he can go. The improvements were slow, but stacked together the results were drastic. LeBron and his team have won two championships since 2010, and he's been the MVP of the finals both times.

To follow LeBron's method for improvement with your marketing, set up a calendar and make sure every member of your team is involved with the schedule. (You can try using CoSchedule or a similar tool) Just as with LeBron's practice schedule, there's a drastic difference between marketing routinely versus sporadically, the following chart shows just how big that difference is.


2. Have a short memory

Start fresh every single morning, and don't let any level of success go to your head. "It's very easy to do that, especially in our league, because you're paid so much money." James told Men's Health magazine. "Those mornings I say to myself, A lot of people do that. But the ones who say 'I don't feel like doing it' and still go do it become the best. I want to be the best, so I go out and do the work. It's a responsibility. I have my name to uphold."

Whether your marketing is going well and you feel like an all-star marketer, or your marketing is faltering and you feel as if you're treading water, there's a temptation to get stagnant and falter from your schedule. But remember that you have a name to uphold and there are a thousand other marketers who would love to steal your customer base away.

3. Don't give in to distractions

"I laugh and joke, but I don't get distracted very easily," Lebron told Men's Health. Nothing kills progress like distractions. The ability to "plug in" and pound out work is a trait of the successful.

Enter your email address to continue reading

LeBron James's Five Keys to Marketing Success

Don't worry...it's free!

Already a member? Sign in now.

Sign in with your preferred account, below.

Did you like this article?
Know someone who would enjoy it too? Share with your friends, free of charge, no sign up required! Simply share this link, and they will get instant access…
  • Copy Link

  • Email

  • Twitter

  • Facebook

  • Pinterest

  • Linkedin


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

image of Josh Haynam

Josh Haynam is the co-founder of Interact, a place for creating beautiful and engaging quizzes that generate email leads. He writes about new ways to connect with customers and build trust with them.

Linkedin: Josh Haynam

Twitter: @jhaynam