Want to be weird? Be excellent first. Mike explains his principle with a stellar server and Dennis Rodman. It shows up in sales, too. … Goofballs are just nutty. Stars are unique. Questions? Comments? Ideas for future episodes … or interview subjects? Email Mike and Mark.
What Teddy Roosevelt’s portrait says about working in the moment
President Theodore Roosevelt hated his first portrait so much that his family hid it in a dark place on the wall. He eventually destroyed it. So the next painter, John Singer Sergent, would have a tough time of it. The president, after all, was active and busy. The story goes that they searched the house for the best lighting, and …
The Dad Shoe strikes again
Remember when we talked about the passion that led to the Dad Shoe? That the designer cared for the customers’ needs and launched a rabid fan base? Here’s a similar story: American-made SAS shoes have been “form follows function” for a long time. And now, some people are rejecting slickly designed shoes in favor of what some might call the …
Weird update on your emerging customer base
More news from the frontlines (i.e., the internet): In an earlier post, I pointed out that Gen Z is approaching car-buying with a sense of despair. Some of that despair is going to trickle out to other purchases. Any business hoping to attract Gen Z should ensure its experience matches the promise of its brand. The Gen Z customer will …
Want a hit? What are you putting in to your system?
Ryan Holiday, author of best-sellers about stoicism, has a researcher who I have discovered on Twitter: Billy Oppenheimer. He shares amazing stories of famous breakthroughs in art and business, with suggested (usually research-based) takeaways for each. The connection between two of these stories and takeaways caught me. (I’ve included the tweets below.) Folk artist Maggie Rogers had a viral breakthrough …
The passion for the customer that led to the Dad Shoe
To give you a hint as to where we’re going here, “passion” is a loaded word. It literally means “to suffer.” Are you and your team willing to “suffer” for customers that aren’t rich, famous or cool? I’m not talking about prejudice, where you judge a potential customer as not serious because of their dress, gender, age, etc. If you …
Walk a mile in their moccasins
I remember the biggest fist fight my brothers and I ever had. It was tense. Then Dad, in his post-crisis lecture, said: A wise man once said: Walk a mile in your brother’s moccasins. That was it. Hatred left the room in that moment. We died laughing making fun of Dad. But of course he was right. Periodically, managers and …
How to talk to different customer DISC styles
Hip Socket readers, we need your help. A client has asked for a document listing “word tracks” for the best way to speak with customers of each DISC style. We’d like to turn that request into a handout and possibly a podcast episode for our DISC resources page. Please comment on this post answering the question: What words or phrases …
How to become an aspirational brand
“No soup for you!” The Soup Nazi got away with saying that in the classic Seinfeld episode because the soup was just that good. Customers were fawning and falling over themselves to obey the rules and buy soup. I have seen a Soup Nazi approach tried in the real world … but it turns out customers do not fawn over …
Please argue with your customers
I have observed a lot of sales professionals over the years. There are three kinds: Those who wash out Those who just survive Those who truly thrive. If you want to know if you are dealing with a thriving sales professional, look to the long-term outcome. Some salespeople are charming, some are not. Hot spells and cold spells come and …