Category Archives: Let The Music Play

Jun 22 2012
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Creativity, Imagination, Let The Music Play

Success Defined (Pinpointed)

 “The border between music and noise is always culturally defined—which implies that, even within a single society, this border does not always pass through the same place; in short, there is rarely a consensus … By all accounts there is no single and intercultural universal concept defining what music might be.”  Jean-Jacques Nattiez

Making music, for purposes of this blog, is a metaphor for success. It is great news that music can’t be defined. No one, wants someone outside of them defining what success looks like for them. But it can be pinpointed.

Something inside of us is stirred when communication, instrumentation, rhythmic togetherness, originality, improvisation, passionate energy, and a message of hope connects and combines simultaneously.

Success, Letting The (your) Music Play, is that stir that I speak of.

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Jun 15 2012
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Business, Change The World, Creativity, Discipline, Focus, Imagination, Leadership, Let The Music Play

Seeing Is Believing

There is a difference between being a looky loo and one who actually sees what’s happening or the meaning behind something.

Looking is for the passerby’s. Seeing always beckons a response.

Looking leaves us empty-handed. Seeing finds us rich in thought.

See what I mean? >; Look at me.

Followers look for someone to follow. Leaders see the way.

Stop and look at art, or a flower, or a sunset, or a child today. Now that you’ve looked, think about what you’ve just seen.

In that same mindset look to your world.

Now tell us what you see.

Better yet, show us.

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Jun 07 2012
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Business, Creativity, Discipline, Focus, Imagination, Leadership, Let The Music Play, Marketing, Music

Leave Them Asking How & Leave The Cat In The Box

No matter the transaction, the service, or the product – when you leave the customer asking “How did they do that???” – you win.

Zappos calls this “wowing” your customer. Wow is now a verb.

You win because astonishment is sharable. We can’t keep astonishing things to ourselves. So we share how you “wow’d” us and the people who hear the story come to you at some point to see it for themselves.

Secondly, you win because they come back for another wow at some point. AND, Sale #2 is a much easier credit card swipe for them than sale #1. “Swipe. Now wow me again, please.”

Examples of leaving the customer asking how….

  • The amazingly rolled sushi roll.
  • The perfectly done hairdo.
  • The custom fitted suit.
  • The perfectly played song set.
  • The 10 minute oil change.
  • The 3 day shipping arriving the next day.
  • Etc.

The problem here is if they can find out how you do what you do they may:

A) Find a way to do it themselves.

B) Go find someone, not you, to do it cheaper.

This is highly unlikely if your wow is off the charts though.

In summary, just to be safe, don’t let your “wow” cat out of the box.

PS – Here’s a secret. Loving your neighbor (customer) like yourself wow’s 99.9% of the time. I’m not asking you to reinvent the wheel. I’m simply asking you be human.

#LTMP

 

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May 29 2012
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Business, Creativity, Discipline, Focus, Imagination, Let The Music Play

Opportunities

One day an opportunity will arise for you the salesman to say I’m sorry. I was wrong. It was my fault. My product or service did not work the way it was intended to.

Everyday an opportunity will arise for you to serve.

Most days an opportunity will arise for you to not ignore the call.

Probably everyday an opportunity will arise for you to make the call you don’t want to.

When we don’t take the opportunity alloted, we miss a musical opportunity.

Noise is what the market expects (you’re not going to serve well, you’re not going to say you were wrong, you’re going to ignore the difficult call, and you’re not going to make the follow-up call). Noise is par. Noise is average. Noise is vanilla.

I’m giving you 2 permissions:

1) You are allowed to ignore the small voice inside your head that wants you to play the blame game, not serve, ignore the call, or not make the call. The more we give in to this voice, the more shallow life becomes.

2) Talk to your fears. Call them out. Address them. Demand they weaken. They’re responsible for most of where we’re lacking music in our lives.

Now that you have this permission, what are you waiting on?

Our days are full of endless opportunities, and it is the result of these opportunities that will cause your brand continue living in an economy where there are brand causalities happening all around us.

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May 23 2012
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Business, Creativity, Discipline, Focus, Imagination, Leadership, Let The Music Play

A Success Formula

Pause.

Look deep into the mirror, a sunset, and/or your soul and find out who you are.

Again, this takes pause – and we’re not so hot at pausing in world in that operates in fast forward.

Once you’ve got who you are figured out then go serve somebody.

Knowing who you are will have 99% to do with what success looks like for yourself.

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