You would think that choosing the provider of electricity for the Statue of Liberty would be straightforward. I mean, watts sure are a commodity.
Of course, they’re not. The statue is now wind powered. Nation’s Landmarks Adopt 100% Renewable Energy.
I’m using the new MacBook (the product is just a little better than the name). If you get one, be sure to get the beta Firefox to go with it: Mac:Intel – wiki.mozilla.org. It changes everything for the better. No one tells you these things anymore.
Just got a note from Ben. Ben is writing to several authors, asking them to be his mentor. The first sentence of the note indicates that my book is even better than book X by another author.
Notes like this always make me sad, partly because I don’t have time to take on a project like that, and partly because I wish Ben and others would find mentors closer to home.
That said, this one made me extra sad. Because a few seconds later I got another note from Ben, this one just like the other, except it said that he liked book X way more than other books, including one of mine. It was obviously meant for the other author.
Mailmerge is a scary powerful tool that is a little like skiing. If you do it long enough, you’re going to get hurt.
Sometimes, precise language can change an organization.
How many times has a broker, or a clerk or a salesperson or some other intermediary (who was just a moment ago being quite helpful) turned to you and said, "I’m sorry, we can’t do that."
We can’t comp your room.
We can’t let you use the showers.
We can’t reduce the fee on a very large transaction.
We can’t take this car in trade.
We can’t give you a raise.
In fact, the correct contraction in each case is "won’t."
And once you say "won’t" you realize exactly what you’re doing.
You’re telling a prospect (the most important person in your life, at least in this moment) that your organization doesn’t want to accomodate them. Want being the key word.
You’re telling a repeat customer (the person most likely to start spreading good word about you) that your organization doesn’t want to create an impression worth repeating.
Now, the clerk may believe that she can’t change the rules, so for her, it really is "can’t." But of course, she started by saying "we." By permitting her to absolve herself of responsibility, the manager is encouraging her front line people to act like cogs, not like thinking, caring people.
There are a thousand reasons you should say no to people. But be honest with yourself, and don’t quote the laws of physics or some mythical federal regulation. The same way that just-in-time Kanban inventory systems saved the Japanese car industry, forcing every person in your organization to tell the truth about their decisions will push your organization to do what it should, not just what it feels like.
Rajesh Setty has just published a free ebook inspired by a column of mine from a long time ago: "When you can’t earn an MBA…".
The reason people need an MBA? (or at least the reason most people do): it’s hard to follow through and stick with a self-improvement program when you don’t have the financial commitment and social pressure.
You could be the exception… it’s shorter and cheaper than two years, but not so easy!
John Cronin writes: I thought you would get a kick out of this. I was in the Detroit airport
today flying US Air and they had two signs at the entrance. "If you are
going to Phoenix or Las Vegas check in HERE at Line A". Second sign said
"If you are going to Charlotte, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, or
Washington check in HERE at Line A". Below this text is said if you
are going to any other destination go to Line B.
They gave you two choices, both said Line A. Now there are many
people going to destinations other than what they listed. Luckily I
was going to DC and could figure it out, but I sat back and watched and
people were walking around looking for Line B. There is no line B.
People either gave up and got into one of the lines or walked around
the line to interrupt someone who had waited in line which line they
belonged in.
Michael Gibbons just sent me a hat from :: HOSSHATS ::.
All proceeds go to charity, and the story the hat tells is a powerful one.
We are facing what might be the greatest threat ever to the future of mankind.
And yet no one is marching in the streets, the outrage is largely intellectual and action is slow. (If you want to argue about the science, please visit the link above, this is a post about the marketing!)
Is the lack of outrage because of the population’s decision that this is bad science or perhaps a thoughtful reading of the existing data?
Actually, the vast majority of the population hasn’t even thought about the issue. The muted reaction to our impending disaster comes down to two things:
1. the name.
Global is good.
Warm is good.
Even greenhouses are good places.
How can "global warming" be bad?
I’m not being facetious. If the problem were called "Atmosphere cancer" or "Pollution death" the entire conversation would be framed in a different way.
2. the pace and the images.
One degree every few years doesn’t make good TV. Because activists have been unable to tell their story with vivid images about immediate actions, it’s just human nature to avoid the issue. Why give up something we enjoy now to make an infintesimal change in something that is going to happen far in the future?
Lady Bird Johnson understood this when she invested her efforts into a campaign against litter and pollution. The problem was easy to see. The messaging was emotional and immediate. You could see how your contribution (or efforts) mattered.
Because you don’t see your coal being burned (it accounts for more than 50% of US electricity) and because the stuff coming out of your car is invisible, and because you don’t live near a glacier, it’s all invisible.
Doesn’t matter what you market. Human beings want:
totems and icons
meters (put a real-time mpg or co2 meter in every car and watch what happens)
fashion
stories
and
pictures
95% of the new ideas that don’t spread–even though their founders and fans believe they should–fail because of the list above.
My guess is that many of my readers will be delighted to discover gladwell.com.
Greg Ness has a nice riff on Staples easy button.
I think I’d alter it to be the "certain" button. Lots of people are willing to work hard. Not as many are willing to take intellectual or project risk. As a result, they make boring stuff that’s quite likely to fail.
If you could embark on a marketing campaign that was certain to work, would it matter how hard it was to do or how much it would cost? Not likely. People hesitate because they’re just not sure.
