Keeping Your Eye on the Ball

It’s World Series time and things are looking up for the boys in blue who are one game away from a sweep. That brings an old baseball saying to mind whose truth extends well beyond the diamond: Keep Your Eye on the Ball.

That was never truer on the diamond than it is now, given the nasty stuff coming out of the hands of today’s pitchers: 100+ mph fastballs, splitters that fall off a table, wicked sliders, big benders and change-ups that make the game’s best hitters look like little leaguers when they swing and miss. It’s no wonder that hitters who consistently fail 7 out of every 10 times at bat have a shot at the Hall of Fame.

That said, today’s best hitters still step into the batter’s box with the confidence that they can hit anything that comes at them, no matter how nasty it is. They are masters of taking advantage of little mistakes and sending the ball into the seats or by the third baseman in a blur. If they square up a 100-mph fastball, it leaves that bat even faster and will go even farther. A hanging curveball will often end its journey in the cheap seats. This is the stuff of baseball: the best in the game going at it day-in and day-out. Nobody dominates every time out because everyone is focused on what they do best. And every day is a new day, as the true professionals focus on the game they’re in, not yesterday’s win or loss. In his two appearances before throwing a perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, Don Larson had a horrible outing in Game 2, lasting less than 2 innings. Like the other guys he was playing with and against, he left the past where it belonged and proceeded to do what no one else has ever done before, or since.

If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you know how much we like analogies. We especially like baseball analogies. With that in mind, think of yourself, a business owner or property owner, or both, as the hitter, and the economy, with all its uncertain threats and potential opportunities as the pitcher. His stuff is nasty and you know it because you’ve faced the same guy before. Maybe the last time you went o-fer and whiffed twice. Or, maybe you went 2 for 4 with a single and a double. 

Other than what you learned from your previous at-bats, those stats mean nothing today, just like yesterday’s economy with 3% interest rates and 1.5% inflation. The point is that things are changing every day and that requires constant adjustment on your part to make the best of the pitches being thrown at you. If the pitcher’s curveball is unhittable today, don’t swing at it. Challenge him to throw it for a strike and wait for another pitch that he might be struggling with. If today’s 6.25% mortgage rate is just not workable for you, lease a building for 3 years to wait for rates to come down and push the landlord for more free rent and interior improvements because he’s struggling with rising vacancy.

As a business owner, you are facing the uncertainty of an economic future that stubbornly refuses to reveal itself. It’s like an umpire with an inconsistent strike zone who’s also in a bad mood. It’s tough enough to play against the other team, but erratic officiating makes that game even tougher. Think election uncertainty, inflation, high interest rates, excessive regulation, polarized politics, etc. in addition to the challenges in your particular industry. 

But, you are playing your game at a high level. You have developed the skillset, worked hard and earned your success. You’ve got a bat in your hands and you know how to use it. And, if you’ve done your homework on who is on the mound on any given day, your chances for success are good, even if you’re facing the other team’s ace. Being prepared gives you a better shot at that success.

Being prepared to make informed real estate decisions is no less important. Whether or not a relocation, acquisition or disposition is top of mind at the moment, it always makes sense to be prepared. It gives you a better chance to jump on a fat fastball or avoid swinging at a nasty splitter way out of the zone. When you go to the plate against a good pitcher without knowing what he’s got, you might as well leave the bat on your shoulder and hope for a walk. Every once in a while that will work, but you’re counting on the other guy to fail rather than for you to succeed. Not a good way to stay in the line-up.

The best hitters see the ball as it leaves the pitcher’s hand and follow it all the way onto the bat or into the catcher’s mitt. They read arm angle and ball rotation before the other guys do, and that gives them an extra split second to make a decision to swing at or take a pitch. That’s why the best hitters walk a lot. They are smart enough to take the pitcher’s pitch and swing at the ones they can crush. 

Seeing the ball early is the equivalent of seeing market trends in real time and tracking them carefully at all times. If you do, you’ll be better prepared to pick the time and place for you take action no matter what economic conditions are. Real estate decisions have long term consequences, which can be good or bad, and while there are no guarantees of a successful outcome, keeping your eye on the ball will surely improve your odds. Whether or not you have any immediate plans for action on the real estate front, we can help you prepare to pick the right pitch to hit. Just give us a call.