The Why And How Of It All

Garth Beyer

Speaking as a journalist and a continuous learner, “why” is the great word in the world. Second up is “how.”

“Why” encompasses research, in-depth reporting and focuses on cognitive and emotional answers. “Why” is philosophical, inquisitive and sometimes life altering.

“How” is a lot less about priorities, lists and steps. It’s more about doing. Doing right away and then ask why what happened happened.

If there’s one thing we oughta know about plans it’s that they will never happen the way we want them to. Time focusing on the details of “how” is time wasted because the details are going to change once you start doing.

“How” might be a question word, but the answer is experience.

 

Stay Positive & You Acquire Experience From Doing Then Asking Why

Accuracy vs. Understanding

Garth Beyer

I went to a Deutch restaurant this last weekend and ordered Liver dumpling soup. The waitress, instead of saying “okay,” said, “You know there’s no dumplings in the soup, right? A lot of customers will order this and end up disappointed when they see there aren’t any dumplings. Do you still want it?”

Wait. What?

No dumplings in liver DUMPLING soup? After trying it anyway and researching it later, I can confidently say the menu was accurate. Liver dumpling soup is actually a “dumpling” made of liver.

It’s a tricky thing for businesses to be both accurate and understanding of their customers. Some will have read this post and thought to themselves I said “Dutch restaurant” at the start of it or wondered what “Deutch” was. Deutch means German. It’s more accurate, but lacks a slight context for understanding.

From what the waitress mentioned to me, it amazed me that the disappointment, the lack of understanding was and is an ongoing thing.

In the world of content marketing, where every word matters, when people will give up on you if they have even the slightest difficulty with you, is it better to be accurate or understanding?

 

Stay Positive & Can It Be Both?

Your Ideas Do Not Suck Despite What People Say, Tweet Or Comment

Garth Beyer

Naysayer!

Zero reviews on Amazon. No comments flowing. You’re lacking “likes” and “retweets.”

Or worse yet, all the reviews are hating on your product. All the comments say your idea sucks. The only shares you’re getting on social media platforms are tweets and posts to remind people to ignore you. Actually, what you need to do is ignore them.

I’ve been regularly writing for a few years now: sharing ideas, expressing opinions, telling things how I see them. I’ve received a lot of hate, a lot of criticism… a lot of silence.

It doesn’t phase me. How?

Something I’ve learned as a writer is the best applause you will receive is the applause you never hear. It’s a weird world; Usually only the naysayers speak up. But trust me, there are people out there that love your work. They’re just quiet about it. If your goal is to get them to speak up, but their not. Only then do you have the right to say your art is shit. Otherwise keep creating, keep shipping, keep ignoring the naysayers.

I’m a firm believer that there’s not an article on the Internet that hasn’t been read without someone nodding their head in agreement. You’ll never know for certain, of course. But that feedback isn’t the reward, is it?

 

Stay Positive & The Only Idea That Sucks Is The Idea You Don’t Share

Photo courtesy of a naysayer

What The Real Reward Is

Garth Beyer

the journey is the reward too

Let us not forget the real reward is not what we receive, but what we give. When you ask yourself what you want to get, you might put on a sour face and think of what you will have to do (how much you will have to work) to get what you want. But when you’re asked what you would like to receive. You get a lot happier, don’t you?

One more thought to consider your emotional reaction to: think of how good it is when you’re able to buy or do something for someone who has wanted that particular item or service for awhile. Or perhaps for many of us in business, what someone never knew they wanted.

Don’t forget that feeling. That’s what drives this connection economy.

Writing this blog is my reward. Not page views. Not income from ads (there’s barely any anyway). Not retweets or bookmarks, although greatly appreciated. To further reward myself, I’ll be crowdfunding my journalism on higher education soon. I hope you’ll be there to join me in the reward.

 

Stay Positive & Connect, Give, Prosper

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It’s Your Loss

Garth Beyer

Your loss

I’m slowly becoming more comfortable making the statement that it’s someone’s loss when they don’t buy into an opportunity I’m offering. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming them. Their choice to pass on my offer is my fault, not theirs. But it is their loss. It is.

The more I read, write, and sell, the more I notice people are persuaded by what they will lose if they don’t “buy into” whatever it is you’re offering. People recognize what they can gain, but this recognition does not cause confirmation. What causes people to buy is showing them what they will lose if they don’t.

With whatever product or service you’re offering, you have to figure out what is unique, what is uncommon, what is it that your customer, friend, client can’t get anywhere else. What is it that if they pass up your offer, it really will be their loss?

Remarkability is often built off the foundation of scarcity.

 

Stay Positive & What Do I Have To Lose

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More Than Just A Roll

Garth Beyer

There’s something special about business and branding that I’ve always loved. It’s the pinnacle moment when a business goes from profiting from just one product or one rote service, to offering other products or services. Let me break it down for you.

Business 1 only sells product X. Product X is incredible, it’s what business 1 is known for. Business 1’s brand is completely based on product X. People are obsessed with product X.

Business 1 can certainly continue selling product X without seeing a deficit. There’s no need to change, no need to add anything, no need to appeal to a larger market. But, they decide to. (My favorite part about PR is promoting this transition.) Now Business 1 sells product Y and Z based off of product X.Airwick-Cinnabon

What if I told you Business 1 is Cinnabon, product X is the Cinnabon roll and now product Y and Z are Cinnabon air freshener and Cinnabon Vodka.

In one of my most popular blog posts, I wrote about offering variety; it is better to create original products than more flavors of one. Cinnabon has done just that by creating new products rather than creating different flavored Cinnabon rolls.

I tip my hat to Cinnabon. Kat Cole knows what she’s doing. However, I’m still upset that I can’t order orange juice with my Cinnabon anymore. I guess I’ll survive.

 
Stay Positive & There’s More To Variety Than Just Flavor

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