Tag: failure

In search of a sweet spot

FabrizioLeave a comment

Taking responsibility is important, and it shouldn’t mean we have to beat ourselves up.

Not beating ourselves up is wonderful, and it shouldn’t mean we don’t have to take responsibility.

There’s a sweet spot we are looking for here.

It’s the point at which we understand that things happening are never fully one’s fault, we recognize that we had a role in making the situation what it is, and we attempt to move forward with a small or big improvement. Possibly, bringing the others involved along with us on the same path.

Deaf to ads

FabrizioLeave a comment

Banner blindness is a concept that dates back to 1998. It is a phenomenon according to which when scrolling a web page, we consciously or unconsciously ignore banner like information.

As consumers (and therefore advertisers) shift towards audio consumption, I have the impression we are also developing a sort of advertising deafness. Similar to banner blindness, advertising deafness means that when we are listening to a podcast, music streaming, or even a video, we tune out the promotional messages, as we perceive them as a disturbance.

Considering the serial nature of podcast in particular, and the fact that the audience tends to listen to them regularly, a nice way to overcome advertising deafness would be to take advantage of the potential of this medium. So, instead of running 30 seconds ads, marketers could try to tell episodic stories about their brand, their product, their service, and the way they are impacting the world.

It is lazy and inefficient to use old formats in new media. If you give people something to wait for, something to even long for, they will listen. And your message will have the power it (perhaps) deserves.

Bending the rules

Fabrizio1 Comment

We are all subject to the pitfalls of “this time will be different”.

Sometimes ago, I was listening to a podcast featuring Guy Kawasaki. Guy promotes a pretty interesting and well known framework for presentations – the 10/20/30 rule. That is to say 10 slides, in 20 minutes, with text on the slides set at a minimum of 30 points.

Despite people knowing about his “rule”, he was amazed by the fact they were still pitching ideas to him with presentations that did not respect any of those precepts. When the host asked why he thought that happened, he said that people always tend to think that the rule does not apply to them: “Sure, I know about the rule, but that does not apply to me. My idea is the most interesting, what I have to say is incredibly powerful, my insights are superb. This time will be different, I promise.”

It turns out, it almost never is.

A slightly different version of the pitfall is “this time alone”.

Working with start-ups, I have often heard the mantra: “this is not who we are, we’ll do it this time alone, and when things will start getting traction, we’ll finally be able to act the way we really, deeply, sincerely are”. Of course, if you are eventually lucky enough to get some traction, you’ll have forgotten and most likely shit on how you really, deeply, sincerely are. No reason to go about searching for excuses.

Some rules are set for you, some you get to set.

I am not promoting absolute obedience and compliance, yet we should be aware of these traps and be completely honest about a fact. When we start bending the rules, chances are we are starting to bend ourselves as well. We ought to make sure we are doing that in a direction we’ll feel confident and proud about the morning after.

Adjusting expectations

Fabrizio1 Comment

It is very easy to hide when we can’t deliver.

When we have promised to do something, and then things changed unexpectedly, the most trivial thing to do is pretend the promise was not made in the first place. Not explaining what went wrong. Not answering to the request of clarification. Not showing up the next time.

Hiding.

And yet, we owe the people around us a “why” and a “what now”. Expectations can be adjusted, but trust is not easily given a second time if we fail it from the get-go.

 

Isolated acting

FabrizioLeave a comment

Your actions will have a much higher impact if they fit in a story you live every day.

Your feedback will be taken more seriously if it’s part of a more general attempt to genuinely help move the situation forward.

Your survey will get a better response rate if it’s framed in an ongoing effort to better understand and serve.

Your marketing will be more effective if it’s part of a strategy that aims at generating value for the prospect at every step of their journey.

Your message might actually be heard if it’s the bit of a story your audience has been waiting for and cannot do without.

Of course, for all of this to be possible, you need to spend a considerable amount of time tryin to understand the other(s).

The alternative, though, is to share your opinion every time you do not get things your way, to send out a survey without having set the stage for it in the months before, to run campaign after campaign tweaking for conversion, to forge the message with what we have in mind.

It happens every day, almost everywhere. And it drives us crazy when it is done to us.