GarthBox

It amazes me how often I interact with the same person at a business and they treat me – and every other person who walks in their door or shops on their online store – as if it was our first time.

The hairdresser asks you to remind her what length you like your hair even though you’ve been going to her for two years and it hasn’t changed.

The online T-shirt store thanks you for choosing them to buy a shirt, but doesn’t thank you for the 15 other shirts you’ve already purchased from them.

All it takes is a note here and a note there. What this person liked. What that person didn’t like.

Businesses are failing to capitalize on the time they have to respond to recurring customers.

Jill calls the hairdresser a day before she comes in to get her hair cut. That’s a whole day to flip back in a book or search one’s Evernote for what Jill likes! Maybe you noted she was celebrating her anniversary shortly after her last hair cut, so you ask,“Do you want your hair like we did last time for your anniversary celebration? How was that by the way?”

Instead most interactions go: “What length did we go with last time?” *face palm*

The online T-shirt store has a digital database tallying all the purchases made by a particular name and card. It’s not hard to go in and add a more unique thank you to the confirmation email… but they don’t. Hell, they could even write a letter in advance to have put in the T-shirt package next time that customer ordered…but they don’t. *face palm*

I think I’ve riffed enough.

These businesses exist… but they won’t for long.

 

Stay Positive & Thinking Of Starting A Business? Here’s Your Differentiation ^^ Take Note

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If you’re not feeling doubt about an idea, you’re not thinking big enough.

Most of us limit what we do to that which we can reassure ourselves will work out.

The truth about remarkable work is that it’s significantly likely it won’t work out. Things won’t go as planned. Everything won’t be okay.

When you’re ready to put an end to the false reassurance and the quest for acceptance, then all that’s left is bravery to go at it anyway.

“This might not work.” may be the four most beautiful words one can say.

 

Stay Positive & Second Is “Wow, It Actually Worked”

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Being a professional is a mindset.

We can learn to think like a professional and then create work professionally.

What’s important is we stop and check in on our work.

Hit pause and answer this: What would a pro do if they got this project from you as is?

Would they scrap it? Would they take it to a different town? Would they keep on your track?

It’s nice to think we’re always a pro, but the reality is the lizard brain and our own ego often take over without us realizing it. The best we can do is regularly check in and make sure we’re creating work that’s remarkable for the target, not just ourselves.

 

Stay Positive & Think Like A Pro, Be A Pro

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At a number of meetings and think tanks, I’ve seen a leader begin by saying that there are no wrong answers.

I like to refer to it as permission to suck.

The thing about the way the brain works is that it’ll take the freedom to start, but five minutes into the brainstorm, the amygdala takes over and starts shouting at you to shut up.

Ever think to yourself, “The ideas you’re thinking of are not as good as the ones already shared, so be quiet.” That’s the lizard brain talking.

At a brainstorm I was at yesterday (about beer, mind you) everyone had to constantly remind each other that “there are no wrong answers… There are no wrong answers.”

It’s a pity we have to be reminded. But, perhaps, we don’t.

Perhaps we don’t have to wait for permission to suck.

Perhaps we can give that permission to ourselves. (Big secret: we can)

 

Stay Positive & No Doubt It’ll Be Exhausting To Dance With Our Lizard Brain, But Worth it

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We’ve been tricked into believing that outperformance is immediate. Gratification is instant. Success is over night.

The digital world makes it seem like anything is possible between today and tomorrow.

The truth is real results are not instantly predictable.

Success in business is a lot less about winning today’s tactical battle; it’s about outlasting the competitors in the long haul.

While they’re sprinting before the marathon, you’re stretching. When at mile two they flop dead. You easily pass them on the race to remarkable.

Outperformance, success, differentiation…they all come down to how long you’re willing go at it.

 

Stay Positive & Run, Business, Run

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Responsibility isn’t something that’s given to you. It’s something you take. It involves initiative, care, and, much of the time, the motto of asking for forgiveness, not permission.

I’m an advocate for taking responsibility, but, in the past, it has kicked my ass. When something went wrong with a project or a communication stream or a product of my team’s work, I took full responsibility for it. Not blame; responsibility.

I figured out how I could have been better. I voiced to the team or my boss or my friends what I’ll do going forward if a similar situation arises. In other words, I’d make sure that problem never happens again.

My advice to you is to be careful of the responsibility you take. Too much of a good thing (responsibility), really is a bad thing.

In some cases that I’ve acknowledged where I screwed up on a project, people used that as their scapegoat, not accepting any responsibility for themselves and their part in the failure.

While I have the view that when something goes wrong, it’s never one person who is at fault, it’s everyone involved; others don’t necessarily share that view. Nor can you or I force them to. For some, when given the chance to let you or someone else take responsibility for the failure, they let’m.

This is why the team you work with matters so much. The responsibility you want to take needs to match the same responsibility everyone else on the team wants to take.

When you address it upfront. It guarantees the same failure won’t happen again. And that’s what you want to be sure of isn’t it?

Failure is to be expected. The same failure twice or three times or four is just sloppy.

 

Stay Positive & Take Responsibility, But Choose Wisely

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I’ve always thought the target market part of a business plan was a little off.

Why would one be talking about their target. Isn’t it better to talk with them?

That way, it’s as if the investor was sitting at the table with you the entire time you had a conversation about the target’s wants, needs, motivations, emotions and opinions about your business. In fact, you might even share their name and stop calling them “target.”

Just as a transaction is a conversation, so should the business plan be.

Entrepreneurs may have at one point been able to get away on a seal of trust.

“I, as an investor, trust you know your target” may still happen, but…
“I, as an investor, trust your target” is much more powerful.

Which will it be for you?

 

Stay Positive & Talk With, Not About

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