It’s fourth down and Florida State has it on its own 40-yard line in the BCS Championship game in Pasadena, California. The Seminoles are trailing 21-3 and they look horrible. Auburn came out hungry and they are railing Florida State. The Seminoles need four yards for a first down and Jimbo Fisher dials up a fake punt, handing the ball off to Karlos Williams, who takes it seven yards for the first down. (See for yourself HERE). What a call by Fisher! Think about it, this could have been a disaster. Things are already not going well, you’re down by 18 points, and if this play doesn’t work, every fan, wannabe coach, cheerleader, mascot, and alumnus is going to hang you for being so aggressive; but it did work.

Jimbo knew that if they didn’t do SOMETHING, they were not going to have a shot of pulling this one out, so he rolled the dice and hit big. Why was it so pivotal in the game? It completely shifted the momentum in their favor. Is it possible that just one play can have that kind of impact on the outcome? Jimbo sure thinks so. “We lost the momentum of the game. We had to get it back. We had to do something to make a change. And our kids are relaxed now and they’re playing ball again.” 

Momentum is a very powerful thing. It doesn’t matter if you are playing for the national championship or if you are running a business – it is critical to success. Something changes in us when good things start to happen. Think about your own business even. If you are not doing all that well, then land a big deal, many times other great things start to happen. This is particularly true for RSAs on a selling floor. When I was a sales coach we used to ask the question, “When is the best time to make a sale?” The answer is right after you made a sale because you are riding high.

Once you taste success, it does something in your brain. It excites you and gives you the self-confidence that is necessary to succeed with other things. So what do you do in your business to leverage momentum in your favor? Here are four ideas that can help you create momentum and ride it to a win:

1. Set small, achievable goals and build on them. If you are able to have some success on a smaller level, you can use that to drive you forward on larger projects.
2. Look around your organization and identify who is “in the zone,” as they say. If you have a player in your group that is on fire, get them the ball and see what happens.
3. Once you have built up some momentum, go for it! Don’t waste a good streak; you have to leverage that for more. If you are experiencing success, then go to customers and ask for more. They say that success breeds success because it actually does!
4. Sometimes you are going to have to take a calculated risk to create some momentum. If that is the case, put on your big boy pants and go for it. If you pull it off, it could be the game-changer you need to get over that hump.

Momentum can kill your company if you are on the wrong side of it, but it can also make you a champion. Just ask the Seminoles. Understand how important it is, plan for it in your business strategy, and then make sure you have it when it counts. You just might take home a crystal football if you get it right.