Gary Vaynerchuk Wants You…
July 31, 2009 by Ed McLaughlin
…to stop doing stuff you hate. He wants you to have patience. To have passion. To leave a legacy.
This video is from his presentation at the Web 2.0 Expo. If this doesn’t inspire you to do and want more, I don’t know what will.
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Paul vs. Brad
July 30, 2009 by Ed McLaughlin
Paul Giamatti is one of the great leading men in Hollywood. And while he doesn’t look like the person we generally think of as a movie star, that doesn’t change the fact that he is one.
Brad Pitt, on the other hand, looks like a leading man. Every budding star wants to be just like him. That way they’ll get the parts written for Brad Pitt. Very few come to Hollywood looking for Paul Giamatti roles.
Actors are reluctant to pursue a niche.
This sounds a lot like any other business. Big companies go after the Brad Pitt markets; smart small firms chase the niche. Here’s the thing – with so many pursuing the obvious markets, there are a lot more opportunities for small companies.
I’d bet on Paul Giamatti every single time.
Tagged: business, marketing, small company growth, strategy
Time To Say Goodbye
July 29, 2009 by Ed McLaughlin
I never looked at hate as a positive emotion.
I recently spoke with a friend of mine who works for a large organization and is, unfortunately, quite unhappy. He told me how the company ignores change. That no one is willing to take any risk. That many non-performers managed to avoid layoffs, while good people were shown the door. All while his demeaning manager (who sounded like the type of person Bob Sutton talked about in his book) created a miserable work environment.
Oh – and he mentioned that he doesn’t believe in what the company does.
So I made a suggestion: quit.
“No way,” he told me. “I can’t do THAT.”
Wondering why? I hardly think that his reasoning will surprise you.
Money.
Stability.
Fear.
“I’ll be fine,” he said. “I can play the game as well as anyone. It’s just a job.”
For a split second I almost believed him. But he didn’t stop there.
“I just wish I didn’t hate it so much.”
This may sound odd, but I now think that hate can be a positive emotion. In this case, it’s trying to tell him something.
It’s time to say goodbye, to move on. If you can’t change things, then go find something else. There are other places to work where you can make a real difference in the lives of your colleagues and customers. Better yet, go start a business of your own.
What would you do?
Tagged: business, career, decision making, entrepreneur
Foolproof
July 28, 2009 by Ed McLaughlin
Everyone wants the foolproof formula. Something that’s been done before. Proven to work.
That’s ridiculous.
Great success stories usually begin with “no one thought it would work.” They never start with “they copied something that’s been done before.” If that were true, weekend karaoke singers who could carry a tune would make it big.
It’s not enough to imitate what’s already been done. Not anymore. The world changes too fast for that to work.
Why then, do so many people push old ideas and tactics that are largely ineffective? They’re familiar with them. And the more familiar you are with something, the less risky it seems.
It doesn’t matter if you’re writing a book or building a sales team – you shouldn’t strive to do it the same way it’s been done before. Which means you’ll need to stay away from publishers that are looking for the next Harry Potter. Or you’ll have to persuade your manager that direct mail, cold calling, and banner ads will not lead to meaningful sales growth.
Looking for foolproof? Don’t bother. The best path to success is to create your own.
Tagged: business, marketing, small company growth, strategy
Who Cares About You?
July 27, 2009 by Ed McLaughlin
No one enjoys difficult conversations.
I experienced one of these the other night. I was engaged in small talk – in other words, nothing being discussed was going to alter the quality of my life. But small talk led to a colorful conversation, which quickly resulted in a difference of opinion. No big deal, right?
Not exactly. In this case, our emotions were strong. And since the other person was my fiancées best friend, the stakes were a bit higher than if I were debating someone I had just met. While I’ll spare you the details, let’s just say we could have sold tickets to the first act.
We didn’t make any progress in that initial round. I didn’t immediately realize why, but it turned out that something was missing from the conversation. We were both focused on what was important to us, and said nothing that mattered to the other person. Sound familiar?
It should. Think about how companies communicate with employees, customers, and prospects. Seems to me that something is missing there as well.
When employees complain about a management decision, are they frustrated with the actual decision or the way it was communicated? Do customers have issue with company “policy” or the fact that employees only know how to explain it from the firm’s perspective? And exactly how personalized is SPAM? Or that jingle that cost a fortune?
The answers are obvious. So is the solution. Every interaction should be personal.
That difficult conversation from the other night had a better second act. We both took a step back and thought about the other side. Then we sat down and talked again, this time from the other person’s perspective. Suddenly we were on the same page, so we hugged it out.
If you want to get someone to consider your point of view, DON’T talk about what matters to you. No one cares. Instead, give them something useful (information, a story, etc.) that will matter to THEM.
You can hug it out as well, but that’s optional.
Tagged: business, communication, leadership, marketing
The Right Choice
July 25, 2009 by Ed McLaughlin
I’ve been thinking about the job market a lot lately. No surprise there – in this economy, that’s unavoidable.
But something else has been troubling me.
The employment trends will eventually improve. That much I’m sure about. But I’m not as certain that the expectations of employees will change as well. From what I’ve seen so far, I think that’s unlikely.
When I talk with job seekers (passive or active), one theme is nearly always a constant – job security. For some reason, people are hoping that someone else (the company) will take responsibility for their future. Even worse, many think that they’ll be able to find this safety with a large organization.
I assure you that will not happen.
Think about it – large companies are no longer the backbone of our economy. Stability can’t exist within an organization that will eliminate jobs to make a quarterly number. It can’t exist when a company is bought or sold, or when it fails to recognize a change in the market and fails. So if you work for a big firm, job security doesn’t exist.
The good news is that when the economy turns, small companies will lead most (if not all) of the growth in new jobs. Large companies won’t. Guaranteed.
Want even better news? A lot of the jobs at small companies are more interesting and have a greater impact on the lives of others (including yours). Oh, and stability, you ask? Yep, that too.
Which direction you choose is up to you. But seems to me the safer bet is pretty obvious.
Tagged: business, career, job growth, small company growth
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