BMW's, dandelions and the 100 metre dash

Can I ask you a couple of questions?

I'm just finishing up my tea, but I have a few minutes.

How do you find success?

I'm not sure I understand your question. Aren't you successful?

I think I am, but then I see others around me, I start to think I'm not.

That's your problem. You are comparing success to others and that's not fair.

I'm trying to grow my business. It's growing, but sometimes I feel it's going too slow. I see a competitor driving a brand new BMW and I think to myself that I wish I could drive one too.

It's ok to wish to have a BMW, but it's not ok to compare. 

Why not?

Does the dandelion compare itself to the maple tree?

So you're saying I'm a dandelion.

No. Not all. But is it fair to compare the two?

Of course not. 

Why?

Because the dandelion grows anywhere, grows fast and then dies. The maple tree takes years to develop and as long as the conditions are good, continues to grow and then yields yummy syrup.

Right. So they live for different reasons.

Yes. And they provide a different need.

Exactly. You assume your competitor is doing well because he drives a nice car. Is that a fair assumption?

He wouldn't have gotten the car if he couldn't pay for it.

You're making assumptions. How much debt does he have?

I don't know.

Did someone give him the car? 

I don't know.

Is he killing the cashflow in his business to make it look like he's successful?

I don't know.

Did he receive an inheritance from a family member and used the funds to buy a nice car?

I don't know.

Does he cry himself to sleep every night because his wife is about to leave him.?

I don't know.

See. You assume that his business and his life are great because he drives a nice car.  You don't have enough information. Yet you compare his business to yours because you don't drive a nice car.

You're right, but I want a nicer car.

And you've decided you can't afford it?

Exactly. 

So are you successful?

Not as much as I want to be. 

That's ok. But the maple tree cannot yield a return on maple syrup until it reaches a certain age.

And the dandelion grows fast and dies fast.

Exactly.

So my competitor might be a dandelion?

And you might be a maple tree. But don't worry about what other people are doing. Continue to do the things that has given you success.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Not if you're running the 100 metre dash. Sometimes fast and explosive wins. It all depends on the race you think you're running.

Huh?

Do you realize the race you are running has no one running against you?

Yes I do. I lose potential clients all the time to my competitors.

Of course. But back to my dandelion example. Does the dandelion feel like the maple tree is taking away the nutrients of the land?

Ouff. I have no idea. 

The dandelion grows where it can. Nutrients are everywhere, and the maple tree can't have them all because there is more than enough to go around for everyone.

So I'm a dandelion?

I never said that. You cannot win the race of your business.

Why not?

Because no one is running against you.

But what about "First in wins"?

That applies to new industries or new products. Your industry is mature. You don't need to worry about it.

But they ARE taking my potential clients.

Change you're perspective. 

Huh?

They aren't taking your potential clients. They close their potential clients. You have done nothing to call those clients potential. You believe your clients is a non-renewable resource. 

They are not?

New clients are coming into the market everyday. People die everyday and others are born. Clients are renewable just like the nutrients in the ground.

So what do I need to do to move my business forward?

Define your goals. Identify the actions you need to do to achieve your goals. And complete the actions. Measure and monitor how you're doing. Rinse and Repeat.

Just like shampoo.

Uh, huh. Do you compare how people shampoo their hair?

No.

So forget what others are doing. You do it the way you know how.  Keep moving your goals, actions and dreams forward. And then learn how to do it better.

So how do I set my goals?
Look at whatever you want improvement. Identify where you want it to be. But the goal needs to be SMART.

It will be.
Smart is an acronym which means Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely.

Oh. I still want a BMW.

Then set your goals to achieve it. That sounds like a SMART goal, if you put a timeline on it

Wow. I will. Thanks for your time.

No problem. Good luck.


Rick Nicholson is a multi unit business owner and partner at Wizard of Ads in Austin, Texas. He looks at marketing from the perspective of customer bonding, corporate beliefs and increasing sales. He only works with a select few customers who believe in the same things he believes in. If you want to grow your business and would like to know how he can help you, you can reach him at ricknicholson@wizardofads.com.

Diamonds, emotions, and a no bullshit approach to kicking ass

Thank you for meeting with me. I need some advice.
It's my pleasure. What's your problem?

I'm trying to find my distinctive voice.
Oh? You're looking which means you don't currently have it?

I am different but when I try to explain my business proposition, I end up sounding like everyone else.
So you sound like everyone else because you are selling the same things as your competitors.

Yes. And my uniqueness is me.
Says all of your competitors...

Exactly. So in trying to find my distinctive voice, my marketing sounds familiar and doesn't get as much attention as I'd like it to get.
Let me ask you a few questions: Do you have a brand?

Well of course, I have a beautiful logo and a wonderful name. The colours of my logo are my favourite colours. Don't you see, I wear the brand everyday by always wearing canary yellow?

That's not brand. That's more of a style guide.
But my graphic artist told me...

Your graphic artist is wrong. If I had to ask you what is the definition of a brand, what would you say?
Well, it's... umm... it's the culmination of the visual identity of a corporation.

You're going in circles. Let me simplify it for you. Are you a brand? Or better yet, am I a brand?
You for sure. Me, I don't think so

What if I told you that you are in fact a brand?
You'd have to convince me. I don't see it.

Alright. The best definition I've seen about a brand is by Karen Post. She said a brand is a story embedded in the mind of the market in her book Brain Tattoos.
A story?

Yes, a story. And what is it about stories that make them memorable.
The way they make us feel?

Exactly. For a story to be good, it needs to evoke an emotional response...anger, sadness, happiness, and so forth. Emotion is the key to a good brand.
My brand needs to emit emotion.

Yes. A brand with no story emits no emotion. It will be a weak, unmemorable brand.
Brands, emotions. Got it

And deeper yet, you need to promote a story that creates the emotion for the customer.
You asked me earlier, and I don't know the answer. Am I a brand?

Before I answer, let me see if you can answer it for yourself. Have you ever done anything stupid in your childhood that old friends bring up when you see them 20 years later?
Umm, yeah. It happened to me last week at our high school reunion. But that's nostalgia.

It's much more than nostalgia. It's a story embedded in the mind of the market. And each time your target, ie old friends, think about the story, they see you as that dumb kid, not the successful entrepreneur you are today.
Oh my god. So how do I harness the power of stories to build a successful brand?

We've been talking about stories and emotions. Let's deconstruct one other element in the story.
The ending.

No. The character.
Now I feel I'm going in circles. I am the character. My company is me. How would you deconstruct the character.

It's called the brand diamond.
A diamond?

For a character to be interesting, it has to have at least 4 points of equal yet opposing forces.
You've lost me.

Think about Tony Soprano in the show of the same name. Do you know what makes the character so appealing?
He's a mob boss.

That's only one point of the diamond. What else is he?
A cheating husband... A father.... A friend....

He's also seeing a psychologist about his panic attacks. He's a loving father who doesn't think twice about killing friends who betray him.

The key to Tony Soprano's character is his flaw or his vulnerability.
His weakness is the key to the character strength?

Exactly. The weakness is what rounds out a good character. It makes everything believable. And if we bring it back to business. Do you know what most businesses won't do in their marketing?
They don't talk about their weaknesses.

You've got it. So what's your character's weakness?
Well, the character is me, and my weakness is I don't know how to say no.

Oh c'mon. You were doing so good. I don't believe you anymore. That's like saying your weakness is that you have too many strengths.
No seriously. I always get myself into trouble by saying yes too often.

Wrong. If I was a prospective customer, I'm gone with the marketing dollars it took to reach me.
If that's not my weakness, what is?

I don't know. But let's play a little game to see if we can find out what it is.
Did anyone ever tell you that you're unconventional if not a bit weird?

All the time. So here's the game. Do you like movies?
Love 'em.

Perfect. Name three of your favourite movies of all time.
Easy, peezie, mac and cheesy. Erin Brockovich, Pretty Woman and Hunger Games.

Oh wow. Three movies with strong female leads.
Yes, I love those type of movies.

What is the common weakness of all three characters?
Umm. They all kick ass.

The vulnerability of all three characters is they have big mouths. They say things without filter because that's who they are. I know most women don't like Star Wars.
I loved Star Wars.

I figured as much. And I'm willing to bet your favourite character in the original trilogy is Princess Leia.
Kapow...Mind blown.

Is it possible that at your core, you have no filter and some would say you have a big mouth as you stand up for perceived injustices?
How did you know?

We tend to have heroes who display the same characteristics we have or want to have. Our everyday heroes show up in movies, television and books. Your heroes are really just a reflection of who you think you are.
Kapow. Mind blown again... This is amazing.

So if your weakness is that you have no filter, start using it to your advantage. It will attract customers to you. Plus as an added benefit, you no longer have to pretend to be something you're not.
I'm scared...

Yes, you should be. But you'll also be authentic for the first time in your business life. And customers love authenticity. Plus as an added benefit, your strength will be about helping others through your no bullshit approach.

I'm not ready for the negative backlash.
Wait a minute. Do you not have friends?

Yes, extremely close ones.
And don't they love you because of your no straight shooter approach to life.

Maybe.
They love you for the same reasons you love Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich or Catniss Everdeen in Hunger Games.  Stop worrying about the negative side. You're the poster child of bravado. When you start to communicate it by evoking an emotion, the market will knock down your door.

And that's my distinctive voice?
Yes.

Did I tell you that you are nuts?
No. But I wouldn't expect anything less from you.





Rick Nicholson is a multi unit business owner and partner at Wizard of Ads in Austin, Texas. He looks at marketing from the perspective of customer bonding, corporate beliefs and increasing sales. He only works with a select few customers who believe in the same things he believes in. If you want to grow your business and would like to know how he can help you, you can reach him at ricknicholson@wizardofads.com. 

The sweaty race of life

You're running. Running to nowhere. Running to everywhere.
Hot. Heavy, humid. A bead of sweat rolls down the middle of your back, running away from work.
Little bead of sweat doesn't know the faster it goes, the less gets done.
The heat piles up. The work not done.
No one is looking. No one cares. No one asks.
You continue to worry about getting work done, working yourself toward madness.
You're mad. I'm mad. We're all mad, to get things done. Yet everything gets done; in its own time.
Why work in this heat. What about play?
It's hot. Work is heavy. and humid.
The rolling of time takes its toll on the master.
But the work must get done.
Faster, faster, faster.
The work must get done.
Until there is no more work to do.
Never ending...work.
The work must get done.
Until there is no more time.
Never ending...work
No one is watching.
The work must get done.
Never ending...
Until the little bead stops and realizes.
The more it runs, the less it is.
Until it is gone.
Evaporated away.
And time ends as the bead transforms and another takes its place.