Above & Beyond

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We need to go beyond ourselves to sustain…well…ourselves over the course of time.  In other words, we can only achieve success by stepping out and going beyond our selfish needs and serving others.

Being a safe choice for our clients and elevating the lives of others is the purest form of enrichment.  Our businesses must do the same.  The world is scary and unsettled, but it’s critical we don’t push ourselves onto people out of our need to make a buck.

We must pull rather than push because being pushy cannot work in this world.  Being pushy adds to the noise in our lives.  Pull is gentler and more helpful.  We push people into harm’s way and pull them out of their problems.  A heavy dose of self promotion or product-centric content only annoys and clouds our minds.

For decades, marketers trumpeted the features and benefits of offerings.  But most customers have learned to ignore these details…at least at the beginning of the process.  In fact, your ideal client may not even realize he could benefit from your product or service. In turn, he goes through a great deal of self discovery to determine what help he may need and, ultimately, will only engage with companies that focus on his concerns.

The most thoughtful marketers put themselves in a position to support those needs when they come to light.  Put another way, the client doesn’t care about your solution until he realizes the problem you solve for him…and while he goes through that process by himself today, the messaging from marketers must shift to the problems they solve instead of the features.

If you follow Bennett Graphics you know that we publish a magazine (Connect) six times each year.  The cover story in our current issue, “Going Dark,” is about the dark side of communications.  While many executives want a specific guarantee on their marketing investments, we examine why the most critical part of the sales and marketing cycle may actually be creating awareness for your brand.

If you don’t receive Connect and would like to, complete the subscription form on our website.  It’s free with no strings attached.  Or, call me.  I’ll have you added to distribution.

We hope you’re having a wonderful summer and we wish you all the best as you go above and beyond.

 

The Future Is Now!

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Automation has disrupted a great deal of the manufacturing world.  That’s a fairly obvious trend.  But what may be a little less clear is that automation is already upending the “knowledge economy,” too.  A recent study by McKinsey Global Institute looked at seven categories of high-end knowledge workers – doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists, teachers etc. – and found large portions of their roles susceptible to displacement by machines as well.

The study shows that knowledge work automation tools and systems could take on tasks that would be equal to the output of 110 million to 140 million “full-time” workers.  It highlights the idea that the rate at which we are digitizing commerce makes this a remarkably critical time in our history.

It’s becoming apparent that we can no longer rely on one job, one company or even one industry to carry us for our careers.  In turn, a commitment to reinvention and constant learning will be required for sustainability.

While the economy demands a community of lifelong learners, some would argue that the combination of automation and wealth are giving rise to idle hands.  Therefore, we need an emerging group of nimble and gritty workers to thrive in the new landscape.  We need people who are aware of their past, have clear ambition and the willingness to take the pain to get there.

The bottom line is that the future is now, and probably every day from here on out.  The value of what we all provide constantly will be challenged.  So, the only way to rise above the smothering present is to push yourself to be a better version of you each and every day.  It’s a scary time, but the marketer who embraces the uniqueness of the period and continues to learn will win.

Our current issue of Connect Magazine is headed to the post office now.  Our cover article, “Dirty Work,” highlights the power of grit and shows why work ethic may be a lost art.  We examine the attributes that make up grit and provide some ideas of how to develop it within the world of business.

Our second feature, “Intimacy Doesn’t Scale,” champions the concept that to have great empathy and trust, you must be close to people to develop it.  The article discusses how to get close when people may not want you to try.

All in all, we love this issue and hope readers will digest it and share it with their peers.  If you would like to receive Connect, you can subscribe free on our website or you can email endlesspossibilities@bennettgraphics.com.

Enjoy the rest of your summer.