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Be a plug-in my friend, not a cog

April 25th, 2012

Due to certain experiences recently, companies lay offs, general economic gloom something a friend told me not so long ago has come back to me with timley meaning; “Darragh, be a plug-in and not a cog“. Basically this means that you avoid fitting into the company machine, do not conform to medirocracy, do not be pushed into becoming a comdity. Think differently, work differently be different always look for new ways of creating value, look for new problems to be solved, don’t be another cog in the machine, another brick in the proverbial wall.

Fitting in is attractive

Fitting in to the machine is tantleisingly attractive especially if there is, and there usually is, pressure from the rest of the cogs to do so. Being out on your own at moments is quite difficult to handle and makes you question yourself…Doing the right thing in the wrong place can causes a lot of pain.

Being a plug-in does not mean that you only look out for yourself and do not create value for the company, on the contrary we are talking about being innovative, creative, focused and active. However, it does mean that you cannot be replaced like a cog. You plugin into the company like nobody else, you play things differenly and there is no real way to duplicate that, that is the risk for the company and the benefit for you. In addition to plugging in you can also plug out and look for another socket (opportunity that fits better).

Solve new problems, create value for others; be a plug-in my friend!

I think it is very admiral to see people who strive to innovate, to break moulds. But those that I most admire are those that do so while always looking for a balance between working well with the rest and being different.

Be a plug-in and look for new sockets, new problems to solve and new ways of creating value for others.

 

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Posted in Differentiators, Innovation, Market Driven

When the sun comes up; time to change

April 4th, 2012

With all that is changing in the world recently; politically, socailly, economically, ideologicaly etc we are well and truely in crisis. I believe that this crisis is being prolonged as we do not or cannot change, either way, change is the solution and lack of change is the pain being felt.

All of this brought to mind an African proverb I heard some time ago, long before this crisis started and I think it sums up this brave new world very well. You can interpret it has being positive or negative, that will depend on the individual and I think that the change that is now needed will also start with the individual and work it’s way up to bigger things.

When the sun comes up..

Every morning on the Africa plain, a Gazelle wakes up
It knows that it must run faster than the fastest Lion or it will be killed
Every morning in Africa, a Lion wakes up
It knows that it must, at least, run faster than the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death
It doesn’t matter if you are a Gazelle or a Lion

When the sun comes up, you better start running

 

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Posted in Differentiators, Innovation, Market Driven

Empathy is the key to marketing

March 8th, 2012

 

 

Empathy the key to marketing

Business is about creating products and or services to resolve problems, I always rant on about this but I am adamant that it all starts with a problem. Value is created when the problem is resolved so it’s all about identifying and resolving problems.

 

So if you want marketing to work the key is being able to understand your markets problems and to do so you need to do many things but the most important for me is to empathize. Put yourself in their situation, walk a mile in their shoes. Too many companies are autistic in this sense, incapable of connecting emotionally with the outside world and understanding the pain that exist and as such the opportunity to create new products and services to take that pain away.

Know the problem, create the product, communicate the value

Marketing goes in both directions, first you must interact with your market to identify the problems that exist, and then create the product that will resolve them, and finally communicate the product to the market place. Now if you have done your job well in the first phase, empathizing and understanding the pain that exists in the market you will have very little difficulty in communicating the benefits of your product to the market place.

Wooa, this company really gets me!

Companies that have this focus stand out as there messaging is simple, they understand the problem, they understand their market so they know exactly what to say and WHO they are say it to and when to say it. In today’s new reality of unlimited expectations companies need to be connected more than ever with their customers and not just at a superficial level, they need to be able to truly empathize with them. The success stories of today’s and tomorrows companies will trigger customers conversation along the lines of  ”that company really gets me”.

I truely believe that empathy is the key and as time goes experience and peers in the industry validate that point of view.

Put it to the test

What have you done recently to empathize with your customers? Or what has a company done recently to empathize with you? Can you give some good examples of bad examples of this?

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Posted in Engagement, Market Driven, Marketing, strategy