GarthBox

In no particular order.

1. You are not the target. Raise your eyebrows and poke the soft spot if you hear others say things like “I think” or “I like” when determining a path forward with marketing material. Instead use and listen for “The target is going to think X” or “I can see the target liking Y.”

2. Test with the target. Putting any content out in the world without having a person who is the intended audience review it beforehand is just sloppy. Establish a council of customers or make friends with the target and put your marketing material in front of them for a gut check before it goes out in the world.

3. Beat your deadline. It’s not just you who benefits when you submit work early (note: most of the world works first come first serve whether it’s advertised as such or not.) That buffer of time between completion and deadline enables someone (maybe you, maybe not) to add polish or consider ways to elevate it further, as well as time to test with the target.

4. Ask if it’s worth it. Not to find an easy cop out from doing the work, but to make sure you or your team is doing the work that matters most. Fully entertain the question. Is this lead gen ad worth it? Is arguing about this button size worth it? Oh, and if you’re unsure, visit law #2 again.

5. It’s personal until it’s not. The work you’re doing? It should be personal. This is your art. You made this. But that feedback? That’s not personal. Call it having thick skin or call it working smart – once you’ve shipped, any critique or review isn’t personal.

Stay Positive & Market Better

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Is it worth it?

It’s an important question to ask. Alas, a hard one to answer.

Is it worth it to you, right now?

Is it worth it to the target?

Is it worth it to your community?

Is it worth it to you, later on?

It’s quite hard to evaluate worth in a split second, but it’s worth investing the time in fully evaluating.

Doing so is what constructs the story we tell ourselves (and likely tell others) about why we did or why we didn’t do something.

And it’s the story that resonates in the end; not just the action you’ve taken (or not taken).

Stay Positive & So… Is It Worth It?

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We can kid ourselves that a tiny attribute will make a difference, but it’s all a sham.

Either 1. it’s an effort to delay the risk we’re about to take or 2. we’re trying to scratch our ego that we’re making a difference.

When it gets to the nitty gritty, details matter, but not all of them.

There are certainly details that won’t make a difference.

Is a person really going to change their behavior on the millimeter spacing difference between your website link and the CTA?

Will a potential guest change their opinion about visiting your restaurant if the vinyl is on the right side or left side of the door?

There’s no shortage of tiny details we can argue about and make decisions on. Some matter significantly. Alas, many still don’t.

(I could have spent another 20 minutes finding a slightly better image for this post. I could have discussed it with a group. Got more options. Argued about what ones you would prefer to see. If I was having a bad freelancer or bad agency craft this for me, that’s what would happen. Alas. Those who are remarkable spend their time on the things that matter most and they keep moving and shipping.)

Stay Positive & Don’t Get Trapped. Ship Your Work.

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Big changes aren’t really that big.

It’s pretty damn simple to expect change in our life, our work, our friendships, our projects.

When we expect it, even a big change isn’t big.

There’s no universal sizing tool for change, either.

Which is a solid indication that the sizing is self-subscribed.

We decide if a change is big.

If big change is hurting you, you’ve got the power to size it differently.

Stay Positive & Start With Your Expectations, Then Go From There

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Oft times we think that to outperform our competitors, we have to outsmart them.

It’s a brain power thing.

Perhaps there’s a strategy or tactic they haven’t thought about yet.

Perhaps there’s some more research that could be done.

The reality might just be a heart thing; not a brain thing.

Perhaps to outperform, all we need to do is outcare them.

To give more of a damn; to show more empathy; to connect more deeply; to be more generous.

Stay Positive & Seems Logical To Me

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There’s a festival and all the organizers of it say “welcome home” when they greet one of the vendors.

It sets the stage for any following conversation. It primes expectations. It holds both parties accountable for their end of the agreement.

The organizers have a clear sight into the understanding that delight is cyclical.

They treat the vendors as if they are in their own home and then the vendors treat the guests with enthusiasm and the guests treat the organizers of the event with respect …and it continues.

It works in this context to say it aloud, but perhaps it would work in any context to think it: when a person enters your shop, visits your website, gives you a call….

Stay Positive & Another Two Words: Game Changer

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Doing more than is expected.

Doing more than is on your job description.

Caring more than you need to.

Listening more than you talk.

Giving more than is asked.

Most of the time “better” is better than “more.”

Other times, “more” is “better.”

Stay Positive & More More

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