As is the case every September, the US Open Tennis Tournament takes place in New York City with the very best players coming to compete for a $3 million dollar prize. You read correctly. $3 million dollars for bouncing a ball back and forth over a net while grunting and sweating profusely in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees.
The money in sports, both in college and professional events has become somewhat bewildering… but that is a topic for another day.
I found myself more than entertained as I watched both men and women return serves that traveled in excess of 110 miles per hour. “How do they do that?” was a question I asked myself match after match. Incredible. Impossible. Unbelievable.
Although I knew the answer, I kept asking. How?
The answer was quite simple. Practice. When not being showcased on television, these athletes spent hours upon hours returning 110-mile-per-hour serves in solitude in some forsaken tennis court hidden out of sight with a committed coach offering instruction and correction all along the way.
I suppose an inordinate amount of repetition leading to muscle memory can be the culprit responsible for this super-human skill between the lines. And this skill without a doubt is worthy of my attention and admiration along with the millions of others who play tennis and who are satisfied with a 60-70 mile per hour serve.
As I often do, my mind segues over to my peeps who are busy plying their trade in the highly competitive travel industry. How effectively and at what speed and accuracy are they tossing their hat into the ring? Are they practicing and honing their people skills on a daily basis when not showcasing their talents in front of paying customers? Do they appreciate the need of a coach who has their best interest in mind? And more on point, are they even coachable in the first place or do they think they have all the answers already?
You say, “What does tennis have to do with me and my business?” Think about it. Tennis involves more than a fast serve. There are lob shots, top-spin, forehands, backhands, leg work, stamina, and a great deal of mental acumen.
You too have a plethora of activities you must address, refine and hone to near perfection if you want to make this travel thing a profitable venture. You too have competition and competitors who want to win as much as you do. You too are in a match to survive.
When you are not delivering the goods in a professional fashion, are you practicing like Coco Gauff or Novak Djokovic?
Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club, mike@mikemarchev.com.
*** You want more to think about? Check out my weekly podcast (Miked Up Marchev). Also listed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, and iHeartRadio.