A Test of Character at the Oval .Who will bridge the gap of success at Trent Bridge ? LORDS Test Ashes SELL Who will have the Edge at Edgbaston ?

My  Chicago Cubs wallet

As a Limey ( a Brit) I can’t say  I understand baseball that well , but my adopted team are Chicago Cubs - as this very well worn wallet after a trip over to the states years ago testifies.

Many baseball terms trip off our tongues in Business English even if we have never seen or played the game.

e.g. new ball game, ballpark figures, covering all bases, curve ball, getting to first base , Major league ,Minor League,  (Sales) pitch , Stepping up to the plate 

Today is the opening of the new Ashes  Cricket Series when The Aussies and the Poms  ( Australia and England) battle out to win the little urn which must be one of the smallest trophies in sport - but no less a huge honour to compete for.

For many enthusiasts in England and down in Aus  they will be glued to their TV sets or at the various Mecca's of Test Cricket in England and Wales in person to see the matches live. 

So for my American friends who get confused of Cricketing metaphors that can crop up in sales communication with Brits ,I thought you might find useful and even entertaining to help to improve better communication.

For British readers and cricketing fans it may also help to alert us when we use such expressions  subconscious some buyers may not know what on earth we are on about !!!

Painting in the Bush Hotel Farnham ( Mercur)
Bats and kit have changed quite a lot

Batting average:  The measurement of a batsman’s consistency with scoring. “John has a good  batting average in his new business sales”

Broken his duck: When a batsman’s score rises above zero  “ David broke his duck with the Henderson deal”

Cleaned bowled:  A bowler knocks out a batsman by directly hitting the stumps with the ball, without the batsman's bat touching it. “The salesman was clean bowled by the buyer’s questions

Fielding:   Cricketer out in the field trying to catch the ball.  “ You need to field a lot of questions from the purchasing committee”

Good Innings:  In cricket, a good innings lasts a long time and results in a team scoring lots of runs. “Carole  sold for TACK for 30 years. He had a good innings!”

Hit for six: The highest score a batsman can score with a single hit is six.  “We were  hit for six by your  superior proposal.”

How’s that for openers :  Expression used when a player scores a lot of runs off one of his first attempts.  “I have plans to put a new sales management software system for the whole team. How's that for openers!”

Painting in the Bush hotel Farnham , mercur hotel

In to bat :  The cricket player's turn to try to achieve some runs. “The CEO has put his financial controller in to bat.”

It’s not cricket : Boxing involves some dubious practices. It's not cricket.  “You can't bring up things about the man's family. It's not cricket!”

Keep his end up : At any one time 2 batsmen are batting at opposite end of the pitch. Each one has to perform by keeping his end up. “I hope that the Distributors will keep their end up in the next  campaign season.”

Off one’s own bat:   All the runs contributed by one individual player. “ She organised the charity event off his own bat. She made all the arrangements herself.”

On the back foot :  When a batsman is trying to defend his wicket, he leans more on his back foot. “He is not so brash now that he is on the back foot.

Sticky wicket:  The pitch or wicket in cricket can be affected by rain or sun to cause its surface to become unpredictable “He was on a sticky wicket trying to explain why €50,000 had appeared in his account.”

Stumped: In cricket, a batsman is out if the ball strikes the stumps. “I was stumped by the impossible demands of my supplier.”

Up stumps : Abandon the game  “HSBC has upped stumps and moved back to Hong Kong.

OK Here is the whole game of cricket summarised in 5 sentences. 

Yes founded in 1782 !  My home town's cricket ground.
A bit older than Chicago Cubs (1874) and Wrigley Field 1916

You have two sides one out in the field and one in.

Each man that’s in the side that’s in the side that’s in, goes out and when he’s out he comes in and the next man goes in until he’s out.

When they are all out the side that’s out goes in and the side that has been in goes out and tries to get those coming in out.

Bowler about to deliver the ball

Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When both sides have been in and out including the not outs.

That’s the end of the game

HOWZAT

The crazy thing is that this  does describe the game entirely yet the description is baffling to the non-cricketer.

It is a reminder to we in selling is to mind our language.

Come on England !

and of course Go Cubs Go !

Related Links

Selling Words - Grammar and selling