Every month my black cat gets a tiny tube of Revolution® squirted on the back of her neck so she cannot lick it off before it gets absorbed into her skin. She hates it and always runs away for a while to privately work on re-shining her silky coat. She does not understand that the oily fluid (selamectin) is treatment that keeps away fleas, heartworms and all manner of critters that could do her harm. The feature that most amazes is the fact that it works for a whole month because it is embedded.
Customers today carefully watch businesses teetering on the edge of survival. You can name them…many in the retail world struggling with the intersection between brick and mortar and e-tailing—Radio Shack, Toys R Us, The Limited, and Payless. Other famous brands—Sears, Macy’s, Subway, Harley-Davidson, Campbell’s Soup—are on the bankruptcy watch list. It means investors are reluctant to invest and consumers are hesitant to start a brand-loyal relationship for fear they might be betting on a sick horse.
Meanwhile, back at the Golly Gee Whiz Ranch, Tesla boldly launches a red roadster into space with David Bowie’s song, “Life on Mars” playing on its radio! Amazon announces it is studying the use of drones to deliver packages to your front door. Apple Watch is taking wearables to new heights that monitor all manner of health diagnostics while becoming a portal to everything in your life from security to reminders to interaction with Alexa.
Customers watch bold projections and the perceptions of “bankruptcy antidote” get embedded in their predictions.
Your success in the marketplace is a byproduct of reality as well as the perception of reality. Who knows if Amazon will actually use drones or if Tesla will capture the lion’s share of intergalactic travel.
But, boldness of thought generally precedes boldness of execution. Whether real or imagined, boldness signals to customers they are dealing with a winner. It turns a circus into the “greatest show on earth” in a fashion it ultimately becomes its promotion. How can you embed boldness in the DNA of your organization or unit?
(For more on being bold with your customers, click to read why plain vanilla customer service sucks!)