Jesse Cole and his Savannah Bananas are being studied by other baseball teams as well as almost every major sport at the highest professional level. Here are some tips that entrepreneurs can learn from the Savannah Bananas success story:
- Ask better questions. A good entrepreneur asks questions constantly, Cole told me in a speech at Gregory FCA. After reading books about Walt Disney and Steve Jobs, Cole realized that he needed to ask better questions to get better answers.
- Have the courage to be dramatically different. When Cole chose the team’s name–Savannah Bananas–he was hoping for a response. He got one. The name is now synonymous with fun and entertainment.
- Create shareable stories. After reading The Storyteller’s Secret, Cole came up with an idea. He would create a story around every game and share it on social media. The stories were so popular that they became a part of the team’s brand.
- Read obsessively. Cole is rarely seen in the ballpark without a book in his hands. He reads everything from business books to biographies to fiction.
These tips can help entrepreneurs stand out in their respective industries and create a unique brand identity that resonates with their target audience.