Astonish Your Customer(s)

The opposite of sex

Sexual enhancement products continue to abound ... massage, lubricants, "stimulants", libido super-chargers, information, pictures, videos, toys.

Would it stand to reason that there is a portion of the healthy adult population that has no interest in sex?

Where's the product(s) for them and what would those products be?  

O.D.O.o.O.D.B. 

America's Team

I hate the Dallas Cowboys, always have, always will. I was born and raised in Philadelphia - I will not budge, ever, and I even lived in Dallas for one year when I worked for J&J. 

Did you know that The Dallas Cowboys are known as America's Team?

Not everybody loves or even likes the team but millions do - for one or more reasons. Maybe it's the winning heritage, the great players, the bold personalities who coached and managed the team, their uniforms. 

The Cowboys' logo, helmet and uniform are classic, basic, uncomplicated and incorporate a Star - one of the more prevalent symbols of American's national identity. 

What could a brand learn from the symbols, color palette and design used by America's Team?

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.  

Think goal or problem first, solution second

Here’s a smart and different approach advocated by Lisa Earle Macleod in “5 Secrets of Superstar Salespeople”.

Mediocre salespeople think “I have this product, how can I sell it to this customer?” Superstars reverse it, they think ‘I have this customer, how might my product be helpful?”

This seemingly backwards way of thinking shows up everywhere from the way superstars prep for their sales calls to the way they present their solutions.

An average rep will tell you, “I’m going to talk about this product and how it compares to what you’re currently using.” However, superstars organize their conversations around the customer’s environment and objectives, not their product benefits.

Average reps tend to say, “My widget does this and this, and here’s how it’s going to solve your problem.” When a superstar makes a presentation, they’re more likely to say, “You told me you have this goal, let’s talk about how we accomplish it.” Again, it’s a seemingly subtle, yet very distinct difference.

This reverse ordering flies on the face of the traditional feature-benefit or feature-advantage-benefit style of selling so many of us were taught. Yet, while it may seem backwards to the average sales person who thinks product first, customer second, it’s not backwards to the customer at all, who thinks goal or problem first, solution second.”

Remember, everyone is a sales person, whether your selling, marketing, interviewing, sharing a point of view, speaking. 

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

 

Cancer ... Lite

A woman came into my office, plopped down in front of my desk, with a very pained look of her face. 

I asked what was up and our conversation went something like this. 

"We just learned that my mother has cancer."

"Oh my God, what kind?"  My mind was racing ... breast, ovarian, (God forbid) pancreatic?

"Skin cancer", came the reply. 

"What type?" 

"Squamous". 

I hate to say it, but, knowing a lot about skin cancer, my guard and level of concern, at least on the inside, dropped measurably and my mind drifted to other things. I immediately thought - no big deal, it is a simple procedure to treat and it it poses limited risk, if it is treated immediately. 

"What is she doing about it". 

"Well, she had the spot removed and it is being biopsied". 

I shared the statistics that she already knew and told her I would say a prayer and aked her to share the biopsy results. 

Having worked in the sunscreen market for five years, I learned that people think of (non-melanoma) skin cancer as cancer-lite. It's cancer but not REAL cancer, seems to be the thought. The risk of grave consequences being so small that people who hear the news (about someone else) almost dismiss it. 

Ever hear the term: Skin Cancer Survivor bandied about? Me neither.

No matter what the topic, people hear, see, understand things differently. Differing worldviews is the reason marketers will always be needed and why marketing is so fun and challenging.

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

Appeal to the status seekers

Trendwatching reports that there are new ways for people to achieve status amongst their "market" of friends, co-workers and neighbors, et al. and it departs, at least partially, from the "whomever dies with the most toys wins" ethos. 

The new Statusphere, per Trendwatching:  

1. Bigger, Better, Harder (consuming the most and the most expensive)
2. Generosity (giving instead of taking)
3. Green credentials & Unconsumption (greener or less consumption)
4. In the know and skills (knowing & doing versus consuming)
5. Connectivity (social status, especially online)

Read the article. Is the 2 thru 5 worldview worth pursuing? Does/can your brand authentically appeal to people with this worldview?

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.