...is a destiny that one arrives at through a process. One goes through various states. Discovery, questioning, listening and various collaborations. All this in the hopes of avoiding resignation. As defined, resign: To submit (oneself) to something unavoidable. To give up: quit. To relinquish.
A resignation is a formal statement that one is quitting. Passive acceptance, as of the unavoidable.
Not to be seen in a negative light. After all, until now, most resignations I tendered were to advance a career. Now, simply, a catharsis.
....odds are that one out of three of you won't be around."
"In fact, the argument could be made that this is the first time-in the history of business- when consumers are fundamentally ahead of brands that serve them. Consumers are more connected, more informed, creating and sharing more."
"The challenge is that most businesses don't know how to adapt, and most people who are working for these companies don't know how to change their old ways."
Taken from the first few paragraphs in the Prelude fo Ctrl Alt Delete by Mitch Joel due out May 21.
I was quite fortunate to get a galley copy of this book back in March. Shortly after reading the book, while attending SMMW13, (Social Media Markeitng World), I listened as Mitch gave a presentation based on the tenets of his book. Fascinating and thought provoking to say the least.
We're all familiar with Ctrl Alt Delete, essentially a reset. Mitch applies this analogy as he assesses the current state of business today. He applies it first to the organization and then to YOU and the way you approach business.........most importantly the why.
"Industries where everything is seen as a commodity- are that way because the industry wants them to be that way. People in an industry either work to be just like everyone else but cheaper, or they work to be different from everyone else. And the second one is a lot more rare." - Seth Godin
So began the Promo Kitchen podcast with guest Seth Godin( PK #33). This is a fascinating conversation in that our hosts, Mark Graham and Bobby Lehew asked very pointed, industry specific, questions. Clearly the promotional profession is undergoing change. The current model (supplier / distributor /end user) is certainly suspect as a result of the internet. However, in this compelling remark Seth mitigates the concern. "If we're talking about long-term customers, the challenge you've got is simple, which is,can you keep the people you have and engage them so that they bring in their colleagues? If that happens, then the Internet is your friend."
There's no denying that buyer behavior is changing. Some would claim that the "decision journey" is being heavily influenced by price. A reasonable assumption perhaps. Recommendations from peers, "tribes" and "influencers" are shaping more and more buying decisions NOT price. Who knew? ..Word of mouth marketing endures.
Toward the end of the podcast a listener asks about diferentiating oneself. SG responds: "the whole key of differentiation is, you need to be able to sell this sentence and say this sentence and have this sentence be true.We will sell you something no one else can sell you. And if you can't say that don't be surprised if people are going to send you an RFP."
This was a remarkable conversation. These were just a few personal take aways. I highly recommend this particular podcast. I would also encourage you to subscribe / contribute to PROMO KITCHEN. The future is all about unconditional collaboration!
