The Other Dan(ny) Brown

Think about it - "conform" is made up of the words "con" and "form". To me, that says, "Form an orderly line so we can con you."

Who wants to wait in a line just to be duped?

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Dating is a tricky business. Building up the courage to ask someone out; the nerves of the first date; the choices that you make deciding whether you'll have a second date or not; and keeping conversation flowing being just some of the hazards.

Then you have to worry about the success of the second date. And the third. And so on. Then (if you're lucky) it becomes a relationship and you can begin making long-term plans together.

Are you treating your customers like a date? Are you keeping the conversation flowing and making the right choices to keep them interested in you? How are you building the long-term relationships with them?

Dating is a tricky business. How successful are you in the dating game?

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Your brand is what you make it. Your reputation is what makes you. There's a small difference in wording but a big difference in overview. Brand may get you the initial success; reputation is what keeps it going.

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Forts were built for a reason - to keep invaders out. Yet if the invaders came with numbers prepared for a siege, forts also left you trapped inside, unable to make your escape until you either surrendered or died from starvation.

When you're building your business, you may be looking at your growing empire as your own personal fort, keeping you safe from competitors. Just make sure you don't get barricaded in and trapped from innovation by being too protected from your competitors. 

Innovation comes from awareness. Awareness comes from seeing what's going on around you. Can you see past the walls of your fort?

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Most people have probably heard the story of how Jesus fed 5,000 people with just five fish and two loaves of bread. It's one of the most popular tales from the Bible and whether you're religious or not, it's likely you've heard it.

What does it tell us? That success isn't dictated by numbers. You can have the biggest company and satisfy the fewest people. You can have the smallest company and satisfy every single customer, every day.

Numbers aren't the important thing. It's what you do with the numbers that is. You might be a solitary fish in the sea, but you can still satisfy 1,000 people. 

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If someone tells you that you want something, do you listen? Or do you ignore and think that only you know what you want?

If someone asks what you want, do you tell them your ideas and wish-lists? More than likely. We all like to be heard.

So why are you telling your customers what they want? Why are you not asking them? Instead of saying, "Hey, this is our new product, it's just what you've wanted", why not say, "Here's the product you asked for"?

Or is that too simple?

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Children fear nothing. They may be scared of something, but it's a different kind of fear.

They want to check out everything around them. They look at things differently from us. They see unique and new; we see "been there, done that".

Children have that innocence that says everything has yet to be discovered. They don't care about the safe, the boring - they want fresh and exciting. They see the world through the eyes of someone that doesn't know the meaning of the words, "Too far" or "Some other time".

Shouldn't we all be like children? In life; in love; in business? Does our fear of real life hold us back from overcoming everything that's holding back our true success?

I think I'd like to be a child. How about you?

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