Category Archives: Thinking Aloud

October 31, 2014 · 10:52 am

Your Last Supper

Foodie Friday and today let’s visit a question that was asked of me a couple of weeks ago.  If you had one more meal to eat before you threw off this mortal coil and left us forever, what would it be?  In fact, the same question was the subject of a 2007 book called “My Last Supper” in which it was answered by chefs.  There was a lot of foie gras, a lot of caviar; and there was a lot of fried chicken, too. They chefs kind of broke down into two camps. There were the ones that had sort of the memory meals – their mom’s Sunday Gravy, for example – and there were people who went the fancy route of elaborate preparations.

What was notable was how often it came down to the ingredients.  Generally, they wanted very simple ingredients.   I think answering the question does that. Which is the business point today.

When you focus on one more meal you reflect of what you’ve enjoyed eating but it’s more than that.  I think you get to the root of your own food style – simple vs. complex, technique driven vs. flavor based.  You think about what is important.  Businesses need to do that too (well, the people who manage them!).  The last meal question demands focus.  We separate the good from the great.  We figure out what’s important.  How can that not be an essential part of every businesses plan?

I’ve given it some thought and I don’t really have an answer yet.  There are so many things I would want one more time.  I’m sort of leaning to a meal that’s a composite of some great Italian food and some wonderful Cajun dishes but I’m torn.  There was a simple dish of linguine and clams I had in Venice that made me weep (seriously!) that might be a candidate.  I’ll keep pondering it.  We all should do so for our businesses too – not about a last meal but about what’s important to us.  What are the simple ingredients that make our business work?  What is our essence?

You agree?

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October 30, 2014 · 10:51 am

Better, Not Busier

The NYC Marathon is this weekend.  I used to be a runner until my knees gave out although the longest race I ever ran was a half-marathon.  One thing I learned while running in that and other races was the importance of pacing yourself.  We all have a limited amount of energy and it was almost possible to go faster by slowing down as the energy banks were always there when I needed them.alarm-304042_640

Business is a marathon yet sometimes we get focused on the “busy” part that we forget the “better” part.  One client’s office has little signs posted with a red circle over a fire alarm.  In other words, no fire drills.  I like that.  The point is to maintain focus on the long-term business goals of the organization (the marathon) and not lighting fires by chasing short-term distractions.  It means a focus on process and planning which permits better execution.  When someone pulls a figurative fire alarm what inevitably happens is that those processes break down, the work is less than optimal, and often everyone walks away angry.  We were busy but we weren’t better.

More isn’t always better.  I don’t know about you but I’ve cut way back on many of the social media channels I use.  I’ve begun cutting back the number of newsletters I see – many of them were just regurgitating the same news anyway.  I want to finish the marathon hand in hand with my clients and not have either of us hit the wall many miles from the finish. I want to be better, and while it’s dangerous for a consultant to say they want to be less busy, I want to be less busy with “stuff” and more busy with substance.

How about you?

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October 21, 2014 · 12:39 pm

Whistling In The Dark

When we’re afraid of something but want to put on a brave face, we’re said to be whistling in the dark.  I suspect that many marketers are, or should be, doing exactly that.  It seems, you see, that the level of mistrust of what brands are putting out there is so high that a significant portion of online users trust a stranger’s opinion on public forums or blogs more than they trust branded advertisements.

source: images.jupiterimages.com

The Forrester folks found that nearly a third – 32% – of people feel that way.  One response, therefore, might be to consider a shift to content marketing.  As I’ve written before, since much of that sort of marketing is what one might term “sneaky” I think it compounds the mistrust situation.   Maybe the right answer is to find and engage brand advocates – someone who enjoys your product or service so much that they’re eager to tell others about it.  It’s not hard to find them – see who is engaging with the social content you’re putting out there for starters.  Maybe offer them a discount.  Maybe give them “insider” access or let them know what’s in the product pipeline.

Most of what you’re trying to do is to make them feel special because they are.  They are a trusted resource to their networks and what they say is more believable to many than what you have to say as a brand.  Of course that also means you can’t lie to them or mislead them.  The stakes become higher since they can tear you down just as quickly as they can help you grow.  Then again, since we’re always trying to be consumer-focused, open and honest in our marketing, this should not be an issue.

We can whistle in the dark and pretend all is well or we can think about improving what we’re doing every day without hanging on to legacy thinking.  Your call.

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