Business
The Status Quo Continues
Isn’t it interesting how much we hear marketing and advertising have changed, yet businesses continue to use old traditional methods to market their business. Why? because it still works! Direct Mail, Newspaper, Radio, and Television still get the lions share of marketing budgets around the world, amongst all this so called change.
Business owners do what they believe works, not what you think works. They want proven success stories and tangible results, not theory or the idea of better results, it needs to be hard copy. The problem isn’t that marketing and advertising isn’t changing, the change is really being driven by the consumers themselves. It is changing, the challenge is…consumers still respond to old methods, mostly because they have been conditioned to respond to the industrial age ways.
Until the shift from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age is fully complete, we will have to compete in those two worlds, our messages will have to be in both environments, because they make money. After all, making money is what it’s all about in business right? If money is your motivator, you will practice old methods and new, and you will invest more in the one that brings you the highest yield.
There is a thought process that no one opens direct mail anymore, no one reads newspapers, and no one watches TV ads, and yet, they still rake in huge revenues. In time, probably not in my time, this will become true, and the digital formats will be where the majority of budgets are spent.
If business owners had any foresight, they would be building infrastructure and systems to leverage the digital age, they will be ahead of their time. They will be the early adopter, and they will be prepared to receive the benefits at a time where everyone is trying to innovate and implement. It’s really not about checking off you to do list, it’s changing the way you see and think about business. Only then will your marketing will change.
Until then, The Status Quo Continues, is that you, or are you seeing something different?
Related articles
- The warning signs of defending the status quo (sethgodin.typepad.com)
- The Future Of Business – We’ve All Got The Industrial Age Disease (owengreaves.com)
3 Authors I Encourage You To Read Everyday
I’ve shared with you in the past about ten people that get my attention everyday, but there are three authors that reach the very core of what I believe, I have to put them on your radar screen. I’ll assume you like to read, if you’re online, you have no choice. It’s been said, leaders are readers, but readers are not necessarily leaders.
I was recently asked who my favorite author is, I couldn’t answer with just one. I have many, but three tend to be at the top of the list.
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Gerd Leonhard – imagine, you have been beating a drum, singing your song, sharing your message, and then one day wake up wondering, am I the only one saying this stuff? Only to discover, someone else is saying what you’re saying, and in a much more entertaining way, that would describe Gerd. I immediately followed him and his work, and have done so for 4 or 5 years now, I learn something from Gerd everyday. Gerd is a machine, you can find his work everywhere. |
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Tom Peters – he’s been around awhile, most of us have probably read or heard of his book called, “In Search Of Excellence”. If you haven’t, when you finish reading this, go read his work immediately. Tom has joined the dark side lately, he to has become more of a futurist, with incredible great insight, and powerful stories to share, he is worth every minute you spend reading his books and blog. |
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Seth Godin – No one shares the demise of the Industrial Age story better. With 12 books published, and frankly, he has been sharing the same message throughout all of them in some form or another. To me, Seth is more of an encourager than anything else, he is prompting all of us to do that which we were meant to do, to make the art within each one of us. I am now in the third reading of his latest effort, “The Icarus Deception”, I can’t seem to put it down for more than ten minutes at a time. His blog will fill you up, and then your head will explode with epiphany after epiphany. |
These gentlemen have helped shape and affirm what I believe to be true in the world of business, more importantly, they are real people, with real issues, no different than you and I. The big difference, they Create. Differentiate. Deliver. all the time, they have a message for you, and I think we should pay attention.
All three of these authors, along with many others, have taught me in one way or another, to shape, to encourage, and they inspired The Open & Free Business Model, which I teach and preach here on this blog, and to anyone who is even a little bit curious about the 90 / 10 rule, it is the future of business.
The Internet is a huge world, and yet it can feel like a small town, because we are all connected. This connection, or connecting, is the new economy, it is what makes the world go round. It is the connectedness where you will be found, where you will find your place eventually, because someone also believes what you believe, and they will connect with you to become a true fan.
I challenge you to read anyone of these three authors everyday, if you do, your world will change, and it will never stop changing, especially if you put into practice the lessons learned from these brilliant minds.
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Flicking The Switch – People Don’t Want To Hear The Truth!
I recently spoke to a group of business owners, entrepreneurs, and something became as obvious as the nose on my face. Now I speak with a lot passion, very matter of factually, and sometimes I’m in your grill, I am as honest as I can be, I’m also extremely transparent. I put myself in front of the truck, willing to be hit by it.
I study the future of business, I spend much of my studying human behavior, and I’ve discovered, people don’t want to hear the truth. I’m generalizing of course, but denial is a powerful thing, if I just look the other way, it’s not there, and it’s not happening.
I’m pretty hard on business owners, and entrepreneurs, mostly because they think of themselves far too much. Again, I’m generalizing, not all of them do, but in general they do, in fact, we all do, it’s the wiring of human behavior.
Flicking the switch is not easy, admitting you don’t know, what you don’t know, takes great humility, and most of us are really bad at being humble. In order to have the fortitude to flick the switch, you will have to come to terms with humility, the humble have more friends, and tend to be more charismatic. You can’t be an authority on everything and build a 1,000 true fans, the fan base has to embrace you and your work to an extreme level. Authority & arrogance don’t attract fans, and they rarely build large communities and followings.
I have never spoken at an event and not offend at least one person, I almost always get under someone’s skin. I even warn everyone before I start, I will offend someone here today, I apologize in advance, but I only know how to speak the truth. The truth is based on my research, studying human behavior, and the natural gravities of human behavior. I don’t like the truth either, but it is what it is.
I am amazed the power fear has over biz owners and entrepreneurs. It’s real for them, typically, the worst thing that will happen to them, usually….you get to start over! You will never fully flick the switch unless you overcome the fear of failing along the way, you will always gravitate to making sure you don’t feel the pain of it. Hence, you get in the way of your business and the learning.
I too have the same problems most of you have, I to get in the way, sometimes I think I know something and learn quickly that I don’t. Sometimes, it’s embarrassing. I am not perfect, I don’t know everything, and frankly, would I want to….well maybe : ) I am figuring things out on the fly sometimes, sometimes I ask you the reader to provide input, I’m always assessing and researching, why? So I can relate the truth as accurately as possible to you, share what I find and what I see coming. I do it because I can’t not do it, it’s what I do, I want to help cure the blindness most business owners & entrepreneurs have, I want to be a resource that helps you win and make the living you would prefer to have. So I challenge you……
Learn to embrace the truth, learn to be willing to admit you don’t know, learn to be humble, and be willing to fail along the way. Flicking the switch is about a journey, not a destination. Are you ready yet?
Related articles
- The Future Of Business – Flick The Switch! (owengreaves.com)
- The Future Of Business – “Everyone” Is Not Your Customer! (owengreaves.com)
Tire Kickers
It amazes me how many business owners and entrepreneurs write off the power of the Internet, the value people in Social Networks can bring to a business, it’s astounding! Too many spend far to much time complicating something that is as simple as the telephone. The GURUS & EXPERTS would have you believe it’s hard and complicated, you better spend thousands to figure it out. I’m not suggesting you should get help, or even pay for that help, but do some diligence before hiring the snake oil salesperson.
Yes there are parts of the Internet that require and investment, you will invest time, you will invest money, but you should invest first in the plan. More importantly, you should have a clear understanding of why. I don’t teach people how to do this badly named thing called Social Media, how to setup an account and so on. I show you why you should pay attention to these networks, why you should investigate the game changer, the Internet. Why is everything. If you knew what I know, if you could see what I see, you would be concerned. Why, because everything you think you know about business and how it’s being done won’t work in the next 5 – 10 years.
Too many spend ten minutes using Twitter or Facebook, then cry foul that it doesn’t work, you / they…are the tire kickers, they don’t respect the digital shift. They don’t know why they are kicking the tires, they got told or sold a bill of goods, or worse yet thought they could figure it out on their own.
Business owners / Entrepreneurs that take their business seriously don’t use Hotmail, Yahoo mail, Google’s Gmail, they are where the hackers and spammers live. Many businesses reject email from these carriers because of attempts of fraud! You are asking for trouble if those are your primary email carriers, especially if you take orders on your site and allow those email addresses. I can speak intelligently on this topic, I get attacks or attempted fraud orders everyday from these email domains.
Many merely poke a stick at the Internet thinking it’s easy and it will make them rich over nite, you’re wrong! It takes time, it takes a plan, it takes a well thoughtout marketing strategy, and then near flawless execution. Anything less means you are probably a tire kicker. Check your pulse, and be even more concerned about who you take your advice from, your business deserves it.
There is a reason why the upper percentile is considered rich or even lucky, they for the most part, respect themselves and their business. Of course I’m talking about legal, legit….not crooked business dealings, businesses with integrity, businesses that understand you the customer is everything. It’s not all one sided, it’s a two-way street, the business owner also counts on you having integrity, and is honest with them.
Unless you are willing to invest properly in using the Internet / Social Networks, don’t waste your time, more importantly, don’t waste the time of those who work hard to teach you, who try to guide you, those who respect their business. Don’t be that person, don’t be a tire kicker in everything you say & do. Don’t waste people’s time, including your own.
The Future Of Business has changed, it’s always in a state of FLUX, are you investing or tire kicking?
What Makes Your Business Unique?
What Makes Your Business Unique?
Some always asks this question, it’s a way of measuring whether that someone should do business with you or not. I was on a Forum this week and someone posted the thread title exactly as this post.
Let’s do this, let’s say you own a business with a saturated market, you and thousands like you sell and support the exact same product & service. You have the same inventory, you have almost identical costs. You can’t just say you have the world’s best support and get away with it. So what is more important, uniqueness, or solving a problem? Do people do business with you because you are different (unique), or because you actually solve a problem?
Is it a chicken & egg thing? I frequent a restaurant here in my community, it’s unique only in that they do something to the food. They have tables, waiters & waitresses, menu’s, alcohol, friendly staff, and good service. How do they make it? I mean there are literally hundreds of restaurants in my community, why should I eat at this location? Because they are unique? I don’t go there because they are different.
They do solve a problem for me, but I can get my problem solved anywhere, so why do I keep going back to this establishment. It’s simple really, and it should be for you. The common denominator for me is not uniqueness or a problem being solved, it’s because of the relationship I have with the owners. Ya, the food they serve is different, it’s an acquired taste for this old man, the food is fabulous. I know we don’t think of hunger as a problem that needs to be solved in this country, but if we were in a 3rd world country with a food shortage, that would be different. They would be solving my problem of hunger…if I could get in, or could afford to eat there.
All businesses should do one thing extremely well, and that is to make sure, no matter what the cost, your customers don’t have a reason to speak poorly about you and your business. How are you doing with that, and how do you measure your success & failure, better yet, how quickly do you fix the brokenness?
While sifting through the Forums posts on this topic, someone posted a funny, in reference to the question of uniqueness. They said, we’ve got a dragon : ) that is kinda cool isn’t it. I would probably come see you if you had a dragon.
So, is it more important to be different, does being different bring you business? It might if you solve a problem in a cool unique way, in a way no one has ever done before. But it still has to solve a problem, it can’t just be a novelty, or an amusing thing.
I do believe it’s a combination of being unique, solving a problem, while maintaining and or building on the relationship with your clients. It’s a small town rule thing, everyone wants to be treated special, with respect, and most of all, they want to know you care before they do. So which is it, uniqueness, solving a problem, or is it the relationship? By today’s standards, not yesterdays. And just what are those standards anyway?
What do you think is more important, uniqueness or solving a problem?
