Making the Cut

One of the hardest working groups of Independent Professionals out there are professional golfers. It may look like they have an easy job just hitting a ball around while enjoying the outdoors, but as Paul Harvey says, "Here's the rest of the story..."

I spent a good hunk of this past weekend watching the U.S. Open golf tournament with my wife's son, Palden. He's a passionate amateur golfer and knows everything about the game, from obscure rules to the history of most players on the tour.

He pointed out one player, Justin Rose, and related the following.

Rose was a golf prodigy and, at age 17 in 1998 when still an amateur, came in 4th place in the British Open (no mean feat). As an amateur you don't earn any winnings, so buoyed by his success, he turned pro immediately, no doubt anticipating a rosy future (pun intended).

And then for 26 consecutive tournaments he didn't make the cut! This means he didn't score well enough in the preliminary rounds to play in the final rounds and earn some prize money.

In fact, Justin Rose didn't earn a dime in golf for about three years!

I can only imagine how disappointing and frustrating this must have been for him. But you've got to hand it to the guy. He was passionate enough to slog it out for 26 tournaments. That's true persistence and commitment.

Did he give up golf as a bad job and turn his hand to something else (as most reasonable, sane people would do)?

Not on your life. He kept at it. In 2001 he earned the paltry sum of $30,755. In 2002 he jumped to $206,000 and it increased steadily from there. In 2006 he earned $1,629,000.

Rose is no Tiger Woods, but he's not a bad player. In fact at the beginning of the last round on Sunday he was actually even with Tiger for a few holes. Ultimately he slipped behind with a final score of 11 over par and tenth place.

It was a tough game on a killer of a course. Even Tiger ultimately lost to the Argentinian, Angel Cabrerra (by one stroke) in one of the most exciting finishes to a golf match I've ever seen.

Rose may not have won the tournament but he did earn $154,000. Not bad take-home pay for a few days work. He's already surpassed a million for this year and the golf season is less than half over.

I suppose the message for Independent Professionals is pretty clear: It takes persistence in any endeavor to ultimately make a mark. And even if you work with focus and commitment, it doesn't mean you'll end up at the top of your game.

After all, there will always be people like Tiger Woods whom you'll rarely beat.

But you could hardly call Justin Rose a failure. Just the contrary. Now Rose makes the cut most of the time. And he makes a very decent living doing what he loves.

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The More Clients bottom line: Think of Justin Rose when you can't get the attention of a prospective client. Imagine his persistence when you don't get an appointment. Consider his determination when a deal falls through. One thing you can know for certain, Justin Rose would keep slogging on the links until he made the cut.

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How did you persist until you made the cut? We'd love to hear your story. Please share on the More Clients Blog.

Comments

[Carole DeJarnatt]

I can appreciate the article you wrote. After being a year in starting my own consulting business I am still trying to make the cut. Whether you know it or not you have been very helpful in my marketing efforts and I have your book and read it religiously.

I look forward to the day when I consistently "make the cut"!

Carole

[Mark Vane]

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[Terry Lavelle]

Hi,
This comment is not about how I persisted, but how you have.
I've been following the progress of your subscription numbers. I noticed some time ago that you gain a few hundred and lose a few hundred each week. The weekly progress is up and down but the trend is upward.
I was very impressed with your New Year's resolution though - to grow your list to 100,000. I'm very intrigued to see how that goes. I won't be disappointed if you don't do it, but I'll be very impressed if you do. I think it's great that you're prepared to put such a bold goal out there. No matter if you miss it, I'm sure you'll do better for having it than you would without it.
Congratulations on passing the 50,000 subscribers barrier. I know you've made some changes lately so I'm watching the numbers with interest.
I've been a subscriber for about a year now and I have no intention of unsubscribing. You are one of a select few marketers who consistently give value through your newsletter. Everything I've seen of yours signals authenticity. Thank you for your insights.
I wish you well with what you're doing.

[Lisa Claudia Briggs]

Hi there-
Today's newsletter came as what felt like "a little message from the Universe"- I received an email cancellation from a weekly client in
my private practice, and it stirred up a bit of panic around business slowing down in the summer, whether I should focus on a different segment of my target market (women and teens who want freedom from overeating from a holistic, conscious perspective) and other
fears and doubts.

I do believe that some of this still needs to be reworked, but sometimes we all need a little reminder that all good things take time and to keep the faith as we do the work we know we are meant to do- to shine our own bright lights into the world, staying clear and focused on what we want, in spite of external events that trigger us.

Thanks, Robert. I have cancelled just about all of the other marketing newsletters that I was receiving this year- I got tired of the hype and the repetitive information and endless offers and promotional teleclasses. You are a calm, compassionate voice that offers wonderful value, that even a human service marketing-resistant girl like me can love.

Wishing you great peace and every blessing,
Lisa
www.Intuitivebody.com