Leveraging Scarcity To Your Advantage
Think about rare or exclusive things, either that you own, or that you would like to own. What is it about them that makes them attractive? Is it the fact that they are of high quality or a luxury brand? The truth is, those are more givens than anything else. The real reason may be in fact, because, it is a hard to get item. At least thats what the marketing would have you believe. It may be a limited edition, or 1 of 100 produced, or something to that effect.
How To: Care…But Not That Much
The world we live in is one big negotiating table, this according to World Renowned Negotiator Herb Cohen. He has written a couple books that I have written about in previous posts. Throughout my career and life, after reading his books and focusing on applying his advice to my life, I have found the biggest take away from Cohen is this simple little phrase: CARE…BUT NOT THAT MUCH
Online Product Models
Business is rapidly moving into the online and mobile worlds of our lives. The question becomes, how can you create an effective strategy that will keep customers interested in your products or services? Here is one example of a unique approach to launching a product online.
I Just Want to Close My Account!
Customer service is something that every company has to deal with. Some do it better than others. And yet, some, still do not do enough. I don’t like to rant, so I will keep this short, but I do want to raise the point. It is something that needs to be designed into the overall brand experience. Especially if you have a dedicated customer service line.
How To Create Team Empowerment
Empowering others is a skill that few have mastered, yet is one that is critical in the work place. Certain people possess traits that allow themselves to be the type of person where people aspire to be like. In this rare case, empowering becomes easier, as the team wants to work to be like their leader. But what about the majority of people who are put in this situation? Here are some tips to keep in mind the next time you need to empower your team.
Watson, Jeopardy Champion
Have you heard of the latest competitor on Jeopardy? I’ll give you a hint: they are not human. The contestant’s name is Watson, a super computer who has been built and trained byIBMers for the past four years. Able to understand words and dates, Watson scours his memory, finding patterns and systematically and statistically coming up with the right answer. Most of the time.
The Joneses Effect
The Joneses. The movie came out in 2009 and from what I remember was somewhat quiet as far as press and coverage. It depicted the typical ‘American Dream’ family with the house in the suburbs and all the toys one could want.
Famous in 31 Days: A Documentary
Movies fascinate me. I love the interwoven stories and how the characters come to interact with each other. Documentaries also fascinate me. They are personal stories of triumph, heart-break, depression, and happiness all rolled into a roller coaster ride as you ride along through their journey. The thing about documentaries is that the people don’t need to be traveling very far for it to be an adventure. Although the docs where the people travel the United States or the world are my favorite.
Segmented Consulting
What exactly is segmented consulting? It is the idea of taking the process of a specific service and breaking it down into segments similar to a TV or radio show might do. Why? By creating these segments, you can better define what your service offers and you are also starting to turn that service into the feeling of a product. When your clients come to know that at “x” point during the consulting session, “y” will happen, they can prepare for it, look forward to it, be excited about it, etc.
Objectified
As someone who has a background in various aspects of design, my mind and imagination are very visual. I recently discovered a documentary film that discusses industrial design of everyday items that we use and experience. The idea behind those items is that people may not realize that they had even been designed. They are what they are. But there much deeper thought into these everyday products. The film looks at the experience that the product will offer, how people will become attached to the product emotionally, and how and why people are attached to these material products. It is a fascinating look at design, at the thoughts and processes that designers go through, and those designers are influencing our lives with their products.
