People | Local Business Marketing Consultant

Pulitzer Prizefighting

People are drawn to existing competitions like moths to a flame.

It’s precisely the wrong way to succeed.

Lots of journalists take significant detours in their careers and their writing in order to win a Pulitzer. Maybe not to actually win one, but to be in that class, to have peers that have won one. Mystery novelists stick to the center of the road, because that’s where the road is. Movies are written and released in order to win an Oscar. Once there’s a category, a ranking, a place to battle for supremacy, we run for it.

Do you go to trade shows or enter markets or submit RFPs or push for a GPA or even gross ratings points because there’s a list of winners or because it’s what you actually want to do? Most bestseller lists and prizes measure popularity, not effectiveness.

I wonder if real art comes when you build the thing that they don’t have a prize for yet.

Technorati Tags: Bestseller Lists, Competitions, Flame, Gpa, Journalists, Measure Popularity, Moths, Mystery, Novelists, Peers, People, Prizefighting, Prizes, Pulitzer, Real Art, Wrong Way

Filed Under: Strategies Tagged With: Bestseller Lists, Competitions, Flame, Gpa, Journalists, Measure Popularity, Moths, Mystery, Novelists, Peers, People, Prizefighting, Prizes, Pulitzer, Real Art, Wrong Way

I don’t feel like it

by Seth Godin Leave a Comment

What’s it?

Why do you need to feel like something in order to do the work? They call it work because it’s difficult, not because it’s something you need to feel like.

Very few people wake up in the morning and feel like taking big risks or feel like digging deep for something that has eluded them. People don’t usually feel like pushing themselves harder than they’ve pushed before or having conversations that might be uncomfortable.

Of course, your feelings are irrelevant to whether or not the market expects great work. Do the work. Ignore the feelings part and the work will follow.

Technorati Tags: Conversations, Feelings, People

Filed Under: Strategies Tagged With: Conversations, Feelings, People

Why are you apologizing?

by Seth Godin Leave a Comment

I don’t understand blog posts, emails and other messages that begin with an apology.

If you’re sorry to interrupt me with that spam, don’t send it.

If you know that yet another blog post on a topic that’s not of interest to your readers will annoy them, don’t post it.

If you’re in HR and you know that no one in the office is going to read your office-wide spam about yet another inane meeting, don’t bother us.

On the other hand, if it’s important, if it needs to be said, if it benefits not just you but the recipient, then just send it. Instead of an apology, clearly label it so it’s easy to ignore or discard. Even better, don’t send everyone a message aimed at just a few people. It’s easier than ever to focus on the people you need to focus on.

Just because it’s more convenient for you to blast everyone in your address book doesn’t mean it’s smart.

Technorati Tags: Apology, Blast, focus, People, Recipient, Spam

Filed Under: Strategies Tagged With: Apology, Blast, focus, People, Recipient, Spam

The relentless search for “tell me what to do”

by Seth Godin Leave a Comment

If you’ve ever hired or managed or taught, you know the feeling.

People are just begging to be told what to do. There are a lot of reasons for this, but I think the biggest one is: “If you tell me what to do, the responsibility for the outcome is yours, not mine. I’m safe.”

When asked, resist.

Technorati Tags: Lot, People, Relentless Search

Filed Under: Strategies Tagged With: Lot, People, Relentless Search

Put a name on it

by Seth Godin Leave a Comment

Here’s a positive step to avoid the faceless bureaucracy that wants to take over your organization:

Every new rule needs to be associated with one and only one person who is willing to stand up for it and explain it (to your people and to the public).

“No swimming until 45 minutes after eating.” Really? Why? Who made this rule up? Why?

I think most international travelers would like to know who made the rule that bans wifi from international flights. Or the name of the other person who made the rule that you can’t have a blanket covering your legs during the last hour of a flight. If we knew the bureaucrat’s name, could we lobby to have them fired for being ridiculous actors in security theater?

Organizations thrive on their ability to allow individuals to remain faceless. It permits them to act badly, not in the interest of their customers.

One of the reasons I so enjoy buying from small companies is that you know exactly who has their name on each and every policy. It builds a more responsive organization and it’s good marketing.