Let me introduce you to FREDA. She's smart and knows exactly how to get what she wants. You ask FREDA how to accelerate your business to full throttle and she's right there with the answers. I refer to FREDA every day. Whenever you face a challenge, friends like FREDA are money in the bank.
FREDA, for those of you who haven't met her already, is an acronym. Focus, Re-invention, Execution, Distribution and Accountability. These five inspire a perfect storm of the perfect attitudes and habits. They're exactly what we'll need to make the best of the changes that are heading our way. Complacency and "it'll be OK" are history.
FREDA is the future. Give serious thought to how FREDA works in your Business.
Focus.
It's important for everyone to focus on the special contribution they can make. All of us are better than some of us. Musician, teacher, secretary, nurse, bricklayer, all we need is anyone with a better idea - a world-changing idea - about how to make a difference.
Re-invention.
The twenty-first century truth? To be world-class is no longer enough. To secure our future we have to change from world-class to world-changing. There are more than 190 countries (let alone companies) on our planet and several have recently made the leap to become world-changers. Think of the Dubai/Mumbai/Shanghai nexus.
Execution.
Lovemarks is a big idea that works across all levels. I have seen small businesses and global companies executing Lovemark programs to achieve super-premiums. A great example is Yemen where the leading mobile network MTN has implemented a Lovemarks program. The result? Preference for MTN has grown to 42 per cent of all mobile users, and this despite the fact that its nearest competitor is 40 per cent cheaper! We all need a Lovemarks strategy, and fast.
Distribution.
Steve Jobs of Apple got it right when he said, "Great artists ship". We're in the distribution business, but we have to do it and the rest also--and very well.
Accountability.
The role of business is to make the world a better place for everyone. This means being accountable for the environment, the economy, our social structures and our culture. It's time to shift the focus of accountability from setting limits to embracing possibilities. The conviction that companies can help change the world has to be driven by individuals, not by government or souless big companies.
So Howdy FREDA--get to know and "use" her well.
Monday, September 22, 2008
A Postcard?
Never underestimate an intimate gesture.
How often in your life has it been something seemingly small that has had the most powerful emotional impact?
We all have our own stories. The hand on your shoulder when you needed a human touch; the letter that expressed what matters most at just the right moment; the invitation to a family gathering when you were feeling despondent and alone.
And I'd add the postcard that turns up in the mail and simply says "I was thinking of you" (I got one recently). In today's digital world of email and texting there are a lot of ways we can connect with friends and family, but the traditional postcard (or handwritten note) seems to be holding its own and indeed experiencing something of a revival.
The Guardian notes that in the UK, 135 million postcards were delivered in 2006, 30 million more than in 2003.
Why is a nineteenth century idea like the postcard thriving in the twenty-first century? Yes, it's certainly Intimacy, plus I think a brilliant helping of Mystery and Sensuality.
Specifics? The Mystery of trying to work out who the postcard is from. A signature scrawled across the printed caption is often impossible to decipher. The Sensuality of a stunning image selected with you and your taste in mind, and the Intimacy of a handwritten message.
I make a point of handwriting comments on as much of my mail as I can for the same reason. My Montblanc fountain pen is one of my Lovemarks and I believe its inked messages have far deeper resonance than the many emails I send.
There's the surprise of handwriting in our increasingly digital world, but there is something direct and personal in this special connection between writer and reader - hand to heart.
In a world of dumb mass mail-outs, there is a lot to be learnt from the simple postcard.
And I mean more than putting some fake 'personalized' Post-it note on the top of an article. Real-ness and Intimacy is something you can't fake. People take it personally or they don't.
There's no half-way house. You have to reach out and trust your intuition about what will be welcome. But DO IT.
How often in your life has it been something seemingly small that has had the most powerful emotional impact?
We all have our own stories. The hand on your shoulder when you needed a human touch; the letter that expressed what matters most at just the right moment; the invitation to a family gathering when you were feeling despondent and alone.
And I'd add the postcard that turns up in the mail and simply says "I was thinking of you" (I got one recently). In today's digital world of email and texting there are a lot of ways we can connect with friends and family, but the traditional postcard (or handwritten note) seems to be holding its own and indeed experiencing something of a revival.
The Guardian notes that in the UK, 135 million postcards were delivered in 2006, 30 million more than in 2003.
Why is a nineteenth century idea like the postcard thriving in the twenty-first century? Yes, it's certainly Intimacy, plus I think a brilliant helping of Mystery and Sensuality.
Specifics? The Mystery of trying to work out who the postcard is from. A signature scrawled across the printed caption is often impossible to decipher. The Sensuality of a stunning image selected with you and your taste in mind, and the Intimacy of a handwritten message.
I make a point of handwriting comments on as much of my mail as I can for the same reason. My Montblanc fountain pen is one of my Lovemarks and I believe its inked messages have far deeper resonance than the many emails I send.
There's the surprise of handwriting in our increasingly digital world, but there is something direct and personal in this special connection between writer and reader - hand to heart.
In a world of dumb mass mail-outs, there is a lot to be learnt from the simple postcard.
And I mean more than putting some fake 'personalized' Post-it note on the top of an article. Real-ness and Intimacy is something you can't fake. People take it personally or they don't.
There's no half-way house. You have to reach out and trust your intuition about what will be welcome. But DO IT.
Global Convention
In a word....OUTSTANDING, FABULOUS, SHOULD-A-BEEN-THERE!
Yes, I know that is more than one, but wow--it was outstanding.
The company really outdid themselves and thus created a significant problem for themselves simultaneously--HOW to top this one? That's their problem, but ours is to use such a great show for our benefit, to grow this business. The way is easy--get out there and share the word.
The setting, the presentation(s), the RECOGNITION, the vision--all top-notch. You really should have been there.
So now we get to work and build and prepare for Thailand in 2010!
I'll be there!
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