By Rodney Williams Before I was an entrepreneur, I had a long stint at P&G as a brand marketer. One of the major takeaways I have from my time there is that people respond similarly to a few basic emotional signals and visual cues. For example, many people are hit with a case of cute aggression after seeing a toddler playing with a puppy on YouTube. Alternatively, many people feel grief after watching a sad Super Bowl ad. Seeing someone smile can make a person feel happier.
What Can Entrepreneurs Learn From This? Find the emotional signal and visual cue that works for the business.For example, there is a hugely underutilized basic signal in B2B marketing - the element of surprise and delight. At LISNR, our signals and cues come in the form of magic. And in any good magic trick, the core emotion is surprise and delight. I’ve intentionally made surprise and delight a business strategy in my company by adding a magical element to every presentation, piece of collateral and product we offer. While planning the company roadmap, entrepreneurs need to consider how they can stand out from the rest of their competitors (perceived and actual). They need to take care in explaining to the team what reaction they want from customers when they use the product. The team needs to then to own how the company produces that customer reaction. Once a company establishes that working order, the pieces will fall into place and the planned results will follow. Magical Moments Pay Off My team and I have made a deliberate effort to integrate magic into every aspect of the company, from our marketing to our engineering. As I evangelize and get the word out about LISNR, I make sure to always use the word ‘magic’ when describing the technology. My engineers designed the entire product to have a magical element - the Smart Tone is not visible, but you can see when it works. Adding an element of mystery and surprise has set us apart in people’s minds, and it’s paid off for us. It's magical when someone experiences LISNR and describes it as magic before I do. When people experience my company’s technology themselves, they are almost always surprised and delighted by it. That memorable first impression got us in the door with some of the greatest companies we’ve worked with. When I’m introduced by those companies, they almost always mention the magical element of LISNR’s product. As I’ve explained in other posts, being strategic about company choices (product, marketing or otherwise) will pay off in dividends. That extra bit of effort will carry the company further than your competitors. Source:http://www.forbes.com/sites/rodneywilliams/2017/01/31/magic-like-technology-is-a-business-tool/#2c28b2125125 |
Marcus Guiliano
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March 2020
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