GarthBox

I’ve been in the midst of work for about a half dozen different industries lately and I’m continuously reminded of how low the bar is set.

Which, if you choose to let it, this could work in your favor.

Very basic attributes like response time (you know, answering an email in 24 hours rather than 3 weeks) or remembering someone’s name could be your game changer.

Demand attributes like these from yourself and your team. You’ll immediately be in the top bracket of your industry.

Hell, some people don’t even smile at those who walk in their door!

Stay Positive & Back To Basics

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I was on the phone with someone the other day and they said, “Hold on. Before we talk business I just want to give you kudos.”

They went on about how we had talked seven years ago about a business I was thinking of opening and all these years later, I did it and now I was talking to that person about how the business can partner with his.

“Most people would have turned around by now. You’ve got tenacity, brother and I admire that.”

After a week of dealing with some very frustrating suppliers, damn did that put a pep in my step.

I feel pretty confident in writing that for most people that you’ll interact with after reading this, they’ve probably had to deal with some B.S. this week, too.

It might be worth reaching out to let them know you’re proud of them or you love them.

Stay Positive & Put A Pep In Their Step

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I’m continuously perplexed when people try testing two things that, if you paused for a moment, one would know which will be the winner.

Consider the marketing team that wants to test static image or video.

Or the ones that prefer to ask a coworker to review their work instead of an actual customer.

Even outside of marketing, which is more effective at creating an emotional connection? A high five or a hug?

That’s not to say one of the two options don’t work, but if we pause to consider that we’re talking about humans and not machines, the results of some tests are obvious.

Stay Positive & Put Your Effort Into The Unobvious

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Things I heard as rationale for decisions made in the last week:

“I’m a fan of checklists.”

“I can tell the difference two degrees has on the end result.”

“I like when emails start with questions.”

It’s not that any of these are lies; it’s that they’re rational statements that support a decision for one’s self, not the end user or target customer or business prospect.

When you’re discussing any marketing efforts and a sentence starts with “I,” it’s pretty likely you’ve lost sight of the target.

Stay Positive & Focus On Them

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That’s the best place to meet them.

With your marketing. With your greeting. With your ads.

Of course, where they are at is more than just a physical space or a landing page; it’s their narrative; their mindset; their specific hopes and dreams and expectations in this exact moment.

Yea, this makes marketing hard, but so so worth it.

Stay Positive & It Gives A New Meaning To Meet-up, Doesn’t It?

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What would happen if you leaned in to solve a problem that someone shared (but didn’t specifically assign you to solve)?

What if you leaned in to learn about a new topic that sorta maybe piqued your interest?

What if you leaned in to actually bringing to life that idea a customer threw out to you in jest?

What if you leaned in more than you leaned back?

Stay Positive & Suppose There’s Only One Way To Find Out…

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How much time do you spend protecting your work or yourself from outside influences or criticism?

How much time do you spend hiding from shipping something that makes you feel vulnerable?

How much time do you spend looking for a short cut or doing the easy tasks first?

There’s a reason we refer to that kind of time as spent.

As for better places to put your energy…

How much time do you invest in sharing your work?

How much time do you invest in putting your true self out there?

How much time do you invest in making something that will leave a meaningful impact?

We either spend or we invest.

Stay Positive & It’s Your Time

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