The Other Dan(ny) Brown

James Dyson looked at the vacuum cleaner and gave people a different way to do things - no bags. Simple.

EasyJet looked at international flights and gave people a different way to fly - no thrills affordability. Simple.

Sony looked at video games and gave people a different way to view gamers - cool mass appeal chic. Simple.

We don't always have to build something brand new. We don't always have to spend millions on research when the audience is already there. We don't always have to create from scratch.

Sometimes just reinventing the wheel is more than enough.

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Be fearless. Be bold. Be new. Be exciting. Be inspired. Be passionate. Be different. Be crazy.

The world is full of normality but who wants to stop at the world?

Be fearless.

Be you.

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600 years ago we thought the earth was flat. Just over 100 years ago we thought it was impossible for man to fly. Just over 50 years ago we still thought that steam powered was the way to travel by train. 40 years ago we hadn't put a man on the moon.

Every day we're faced with impossibilities. We're told, "You can't do that; it'll never work."

But you know... an impossibility is simply a problem that we haven't conquered yet. Consider that as you next commute to work on your electric train.

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You're responsible for a blogger outreach program. Who do you go for - the influencers? Is this the right approach? Why aren't you reaching for the evangelists?

Influencers take a paycheck (or some from of payment) to talk about you. They don't always have a vested interest in your brand. They won't necessarily tell you where to improve.

Evangelists don't need a paycheck. By all means, give them first shot at your new goodies, but payment? Not their style. They have a vested interest in your brand. They want to see you be the best, so they'll tell you what you're doing wrong and where you can improve.

Influencers are for the now. Evangelists are for the now and after now.

Still want to reach the influencers?

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ATM's are automated, but you need to deal with a real person to buy a house. Phone trees are automated but you need to deal with a real person to resolve a complaint. Production lines are automated but you need a real person to sign the shipment papers.

Our processes may be becoming more automated, but we still need real people to initiate the process. Is your business recognizing your real people every day?

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If approached properly, a complaint can turn into a discussion can turn into a process improvement can turn into a case study. Everybody wins.

Are you being clever with complaints?

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Your voicemail is permanently on (or your secretary is diverting calls). Your office is a no-go area except to the limited few. Your cell phone has dedicated ringtones so only three people get through (and they're all "Yes" people).

You're permanently in meetings that you've arranged that don't need to happen - the earth won't fall away if you miss one of them. Simply put, you're so busy that your life is one big "Do Not Disturb" sign.

Your competitors, on the other hand, like to be disturbed. They like new ideas from the many. They like phone calls; emails; faxes. They like meetings that only happen when.. well, when something happens or needs to.

In short, your competitors are busy being disturbed by customers. Isn't it about time you unlocked some doors?

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