Life Lesson

Brands Businesses And Their Faces

Garth Beyer

I played an odd game last night with family. The game Faces. Basically you try to associate a particular attribute “the flirt” with one of the seven faces. If you guess the same as the dealer, you both win.

I also watched Shark Tank (worth watching otherwise I wouldn’t mention it).

Combining the two made me think a few things.

1. If given the chance, people can read your face. They are constantly analyzing every feature to see if it fits the world view you’re trying to sell. No, the grumpy looking women is not going to be the flirt. No, the stock faced men trying to pitch a tie business based on the Netflix platform are not passionate about their product.

2. Most will get close to understanding the face of your brand, but the more you stand out, the more they will all agree on what the face represents. That’s when you can call your branding a success. Everyone looks at Apple and sees the same face. It took years and plenty of differentiation and risk to get there.

3. Sometimes it doesn’t matter if you’re pretty.

 

Stay Positive & But Some Makeup Never Hurt

Garth E. Beyer

Assorted Links

Garth Beyer

1. 5 historical attempts to ban coffee (read)

2. These are the 30 people under 30 changing the world (list)

3. A letter from my future self (read)

4. Sharapova is back in the game and as driven as ever (read, guilty pleasure)

5. Five innovations IBM expects will change our world (watch)

6. The ultimate productivity blog (realize)

Nothing Works. Really, It Does.

Garth Beyer

No post lined up for today.

No great ideas today either. Good ones, but not great.

So instead of writing about a good idea. I’m choosing nothing. Because when people expect great and all you have is good, nothing is a better choice.

There’s overselling (1), underselling (2) and not selling at all (3).

Now rank them in their importance to you.

 

Stay Positive & Nothing Isn’t Always Just Safe, Sometimes It’s Smart

Garth E. Beyer

Is Their Attention Worth It?

Garth Beyer

Asking if your attention is worth it is just like asking what you want out of the relationship when you’re the one giving.

Better to ask if their attention is worth it. What are they truly paying when they watch you, buy your product, read your blog? Is it just time? Or are they paying with their child’s college savings? Or are they trading their long-held beliefs and world view for something different that you offer?

There’s a reason why they call it paying attention. Knowing exactly what your audience is giving to get what you offer puts you a step closer at understanding your audience and learning how to tweak the story you’re selling.

 

Stay Positive & Nothing Is Ever Free

Garth E. Beyer

Which Faith Comes First

Garth Beyer

You’re waiting for the approval, the green light, the O.K.

Why?

Faith in yourself comes first. Faith from others in what you’ve made comes after.

 

Stay Positive & Build It And They Will Come

Garth E. Beyer

Is Productivity What You Really Need?

Garth Beyer

Why do you want to be more productive? That’s a question you really need to consider before you embark on your productivity campaign. If your answer is to have more time to figure out how to be ever more productive, you’re digging yourself a grave. If you’re in it for leisure, for family, for friends, then productivity is worth it.

Let us not forget, though, that just doing the work of doing the work is an acceptable option. One I personally tend to favor.

Elaboration On Shadowing

Garth Beyer

Yesterday I wrote that learning must be done through action, not solely observance.

My dining experience today resonated this philosophy and made me question why they call it “job shadowing.”

Last time I watched my shadow, it moved when I moved, did what I did, messed up when I did. My shadow didn’t hover behind me, it didn’t lean over my shoulder, it didn’t just follow me, it made all the same moves I did.

The waitress introduced herself and the trainee trailed right behind her the entire afternoon, from table to table. Her cheeks had to hurt because beside walking, all that she was doing was smiling. There was no conversation, no getting drinks, no effort. Not her fault at all. It’s the fault of society’s misconception of training people.

Can she get by and meet the needs of the restaurant by shadowing this way – sure. But that comes with externalities.

Those being poorer experiences for the consumer, the “teacher,” and the shadower.

 

Stay Positive & It’s Not “What Did You Learn Today,” It’s “What Did You Do?”

Garth E. Beyer