MSPs who are busy chasing customers will strike out—every time.
MSPs who focus on creating fans will hit home runs—and create lasting customer loyalty and business success.
That’s the compelling message MSP attendees at TMT’s recent IT Sales and Marketing Boot Camp heard from Jesse Cole, the energetic founder of Fans First Entertainment and owner of the exhibition baseball team, Savannah Bananas.
Cole shared his story of how he evolved from a shy, five-year-old honorary Boston Red Sox batboy to the creator of Banana Ball. His story and the transformation of the Savannah Bananas from a struggling minor league baseball team to a national sensation selling out Major League ballparks and NFL stadiums are a testament to the power of experience-driven innovation.
Normal Gets Normal Results
To bring more spectators to the ballpark and create a fun experience, Cole began examining everything they did. “We had to do something to create attention, something to be different. We started saying, ‘What if we could look at everything we do and ask, does it create fans?’”
He came to this conclusion: “The reality is, normal gets normal results.”
The Five E’s: A Blueprint for Fandom
Cole’s blueprint for building fandom centers on what he calls the Five E’s, principles that any business can apply to turn customers into lifelong fans.
1. Eliminate Friction
Business owners must identify and remove obstacles in the customer journey ruthlessly. “The greatest businesses look inward, putting themselves in their customers’ shoes and eliminating the friction points,” he explained. The Bananas tackled common complaints about baseball—games that were too long, slow, or boring—by introducing a two-hour limit, trick plays, and nonstop audience participation.
They eliminated hidden fees by building their own ticket platform: Every ticket is $35, all-inclusive, covering food, drinks, service fees, and even taxes. They rewrote their invoice messages and changed their phone hold music to make paying and holding fun. “Every time you can make the experience enjoyable, you’re building that fandom,” Cole said.
2. Entertain Always
Cole challenged the MSP attendees to reconsider what business they’re truly in. “I would argue that all of us are in the entertainment business, because everyone is trying to provide enjoyment in any service that you provide,” he said.
The Bananas map every stage of the fan journey, from the moment a ticket is purchased to the final goodbye. Fans get videos with staff wearing banana suits and the “Banana Nanas” senior dance team of grandmothers. For years, the team called every ticket buyer personally to say thanks. On game day, “Parking Penguins” hand out freezy pops, and a professional “high-fiver” greets every guest. Even rain delays become legendary with a three-hour script designed to ensure fans leave saying it was the most fun they’ve ever had—without a single pitch being thrown.
3. Experiment Constantly
Innovation, Cole insists, comes from relentless experimentation. “You’ve got to work your idea muscle,” he said. He began generating 10 new ideas every day, encouraging his team to do the same. Some ideas failed, but others literally changed the game.
The experiment that changed everything involved hiring a dance instructor and teaching players to dance. Their routines became a sensation. “Whatever is normal, do the exact opposite,” Cole advised. “You either have a success or a story. One experiment can change everything.”
4. Engage Deeply
True loyalty, Cole believes, is built through deep, personal engagement with individual fans. “Do for one what you wish you could do for many.” The Bananas staff is empowered to create unforgettable moments for fans, knowing that these stories are what set them apart.
5. Empower Action
Finally, Cole emphasized the importance of giving your team agency to act. When the Bananas play in major league stadiums, every team member writes thank-you notes for fans in the farthest seats. “The reality is, it starts at the top,” Cole said. “If you create the stories, the sales will go with them.”
This culture has made the Bananas a phenomenon: A 3.2-million-person ticket waitlist and 7,000 people eager to join the team. “If you create that experience, you show people that it really matters,” Cole said. “You create fans by giving your team the opportunity to create those special moments.”
The Two Words That Changed Everything
Cole’s philosophy boils down to two words: Fans First.
“We stopped focusing on chasing customers and started focusing on creating fans,” he said. The results speak for themselves: The Bananas have sold out every game, attracted 20 million followers, and even earned a place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
His challenge to MSP owners and decision-makers: Figure out what kind of experience you need to provide to make an impact and build loyal fans for life. “What would it look like if your clients loved you so much, they wanted to get a tattoo of your company logo?” he said.
“They’re not just buying the product. They’re buying how you make them feel.”
Want to get started? Here are some prompts Cole offered:
Use These 12 Questions to Help You Stand Out and Be Different
To transform customers into raving fans, Cole advises using these questions to prompt brainstorming. Then pick one question a week and implement a change.
- What does a fan-for-life look like in your business?
- What kind of experience would make a customer say, “I love you so much, I’d get your logo tattooed on me”?
- How do you turn an ordinary experience into a remarkable one, and a remarkable experience into an unforgettable one?
- What are the big (macro) friction points in your business (like onboarding and response time)? What are the minor (micro) friction points (your voicemail message, your hold music, or invoices)? How can you do these dramatically differently than everyone else?
- How do you map the journey for your customer to provide enjoyment and make their lives better every step of the way?
- How do you set the tone when someone starts working with you?
- When things go wrong, do you have a plan or a script for pivoting?
- How often do you thank your clients or show appreciation in a fun, extraordinary way?
- How are you consistently experimenting with new ways to create fans?
- What unique touches can help you add fans that your competitors can’t do or won’t do?
- How can you create something special for a fan that you wouldn’t do for everyone else—a gesture that creates a memorable moment?
- What’s “one more thing” you can add to the customer experience to surprise and delight them?
Watch Your MSP Business Soar
When you focus on creating fans, not chasing customers, the results can clearly be extraordinary. Embrace the Five E’s to create experiences that matter. You’ll build a fan base that not only supports you but propels your MSP business to new heights. The journey from customer to fan starts with a single step—make it unforgettable.
