Start with the heart

Getty Images

Getty Images

I recently asked a friend of mine who happens to be a medical doctor, “Who is in charge, the heart or the brain?” He said, the brain and I said, “I am going to challenge you on that one! You can find many people in the hospital who are still alive - clinically brain dead, but when the heart stops, it’s all over.”

I think that if we look metaphorically at the brain and head, then the brain is mental and the heart is emotional. And if we put them together in harmony, we will have the mental and the emotional - one starts with “M” and the other with “E”, when we put them together we have “ME” and nobody can mess with “ME”.

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How can you become a meaningful specific and not a wandering generality?

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This means that you should not become someone who is wandering through life with no specific purpose or meaning to your life. Instead, be someone who stands out from the crowd. With dreams and goals that add meaning and purpose to your life as you accomplish them along your life journey, you become a meaningful specific.

I think that marketing is creating true stories, that when they intersect with people who want to hear them, these stories will change those people for the better. Seth Godin recommends reaching your “smallest viable audience that you can be sustained by.” And he describes the smallest viable audience as “that core group that you know, you understand and seek to interact with and so delight them that they will tell others.” 

 

I don’t want to trick people into paying attention for a short while by making interesting click bait. I think that whatever your brand aesthetic may be, consistency in tone, voice, and style is crucial in building trust and keeping your audience coming back for more.

 

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I care enough to see you

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People are always drawn to those who are genuine, willing to show who they truly are and who make it safe for others to be fully themselves. I have always taken the risk of leading from my heart, knowing the reward was greater than any inadequacy I felt. I think being vulnerable is always the pathway to making meaningful connections, and being authentic and vulnerable is also the secret to becoming charismatic.
Ken Blanchard said, “If you don’t know who you are - or what your strengths and weaknesses are - and you are unwilling to be vulnerable, you will never develop a trusting relationship.” 


In my humble opinion, authenticity means taking a risk to show others our true selves. It’s uncomfortable and vulnerable, and always carries with it the very human fear of not fitting in. I think that if we want to see others then we must first allow them to truly see us. It takes courage to be authentic and aligned with our values, especially in these turbulent times. Right now we are all using FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, Teams, etc., to stay in touch with our colleagues, family and friends, but we are still in our own spaces. I think that it’s really hard to transcend that separateness, no matter how good the camera lens is, technology has made the connection possible, but seeing authentic emotion makes it tolerable. 

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Do you agree that in our heads and hands we have the specialist skills that will get us hired? I think that what really separates us is our ability to connect with, motivate and inspire others, what do you think? 

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How do branding and company culture interact?

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c/o Sacai @ Lane Crawford

c/o Sacai @ Lane Crawford

In 2016, I managed to fulfil a lifelong ambition and traveled to Tokyo and Kyoto as I have been fascinated by Japanese culture throughout my life. I was not disappointed, Japan was exactly as I imagined. I worked with Beams way back in 1990, and I subsequently worked with all the major Japanese department stores.


I think you cannot successfully tell a story to the outside world for long which is opposite to the culture you actually have. We didn’t invent culture to inform capitalism, we invented capitalism so our culture could get better. 

- Culture defeats strategy every time. 
- Culture is people like us do things like this.
- Culture is how we make decisions. 

Would you like me to look into your culture?

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How much is kindness worth to you?

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To me, success is an ongoing process of striving to become more. It is the opportunity to continually grow emotionally, socially, spiritually, intellectually and financially while contributing in some positive way to others. I think the road to success is always under construction. 

I am always impressed and grateful when I meet smart people. In reality, what I admire most in people is kindness, humility, optimism, generosity and shared knowledge. Therefore, I think that no matter how educated, talented or rich you are, how you treat people will ultimately reveal all.

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What comes out is what's inside

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c/o The Economist

c/o The Economist

“When you squeeze an orange, you’ll always get orange juice to come out. What comes out is what’s inside. The same logic applies to you: when someone squeezes you, puts pressure on you, or says something unflattering or critical, and out of you comes anger, hatred, bitterness, tension, depression, or anxiety, that is what’s inside. If love and joy are what you want to give and receive, change your life by changing what’s inside.” - Wayne Dyer

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Are you aware?

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I think that one has to remain open-minded to the fact that there are 6 billion people around the world who are not European or North American, and they buy an awful lot of stuff.
Perhaps it would be a good idea to start asking some questions about these consumers, for example:

-       Why do they buy it?

-       How do they buy it?

-       What are they using to buy it?

-       Who’s serving them?

-       How do they serve?

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Seek and you shall find

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I have always watched what happens when people visit stores, where do they go and what do they talk about? They are not going to tell you, but they will give it all away by the stories they tell while under observation. A common mistake marketeers make is assuming that other people see the world the way you see the world. This takes the form in thinking that other people believe what you believe, thinking that other people fear what you fear and everyone wants what you want. And when you are a marketeer, this is always a mistake!

Each of us walks around with a world view that we are certain is true. Our belief about money, about strangers, about places, etc., we think that it is true and that’s why it’s so hard to have a rational conversation with someone who holds opposing views on politics, race or religion. This is because their world view has surrounded them with enough narrative that they are sure they are right. It does not matter if you have scientific evidence, they do not want to believe you because that’s who they are at that moment. I certainly know that my world view is not the the truth of the world.

Apple CEO Tim Cook

Apple CEO Tim Cook

What Tim Cook understood when he took over at Apple is that many people don’t buy Apple products because they are better, they buy them because their status goes up. People will queue overnight to get the latest Apple device because they feel good when other people see what’s in their hand and their status goes up.

There has not been one important innovation has happened under Tim Cook’s leadership, this is not a criticism, as he developed the biggest, most profitable luxury brand in history. Apple just use the technology ratchet to turn a handle on status and luxury. Tim Cook and his team understand this simple formula and all they had to do was watch what was happening in an Apple Store.

Contact me if you would like me to look at your processes …

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I Can See Clearly Now

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I’m a sales guy by nature and have done really a lot of selling. Basically, there are two elements of selling - starting the conversation that leads to a meeting and closing the deal.

I think SALES is a performance profession! The challenge is how to accurately and fairly measure results. Most companies teach their sales team how to take an order and how to make presentations, which is fine, I think what they should also be teaching is how to ask open ended questions. You can read all the books and study it, in reality, unless you are applying it everyday, building systems and habits around it, it’s just information.

I have a passion to help others achieve their goals and exceed their own expectations with over 20 years experience of contributing to and leading organisations within retail, wholesale, marketing and branding.
Contact me if you are interested in hearing more…