Business Tricks & Treats: Movie Monster Edition
As seen in Valley News Group
The glorious month of October is in full swing! Yes that’s right – you can officially see/smell/taste pumpkin flavored absolutely everywhere. Ugg boots and uncomfortably short shorts are very much back in Southern California fashion and happy hour just can’t come soon enough. (That’s every season though right?) As the days get shorter and the nights come earlier, I cant help but think about how there just isn’t enough time in the day! How can a business survive with so many distractions? How can a business owner risk everything they have to be successful and come out on top? Or even scarier, what if a business’s methods are actually counter intuitive and they turn out to be poisoning the pipeline? Luckily for you, I have turned to our favorite Hollywood movie monsters for answers and business advice on how not to kill your business.
Frankenstein says “Don’t make friends and then strangle them to death.”
Creating, curating and distributing great content is critical to a successful marketing strategy. Do you know what’s not great? Crap content. Do you know what’s worse? Repeatedly posting crap content. If your business is lucky enough to gain fans and/or followers, then you have a responsibility to not consistently bombard that person with useless or pointless information. At Cowe Consulting, we have very strict guidelines as to what types of content can be shared. That is not to say that we don’t love a great skateboarding fail video. But if people are coming to us looking for business and brand development, shame on us for not giving them what they want.
The Wolfman says “Learn to live with and love your dark side.”
Building a winning business model takes a whole lot of good old fashioned failure. Mistakes are an integral part of success and as far as I am concerned, should be embraced and celebrated. How else will you know what works or doesn’t? What if the person, who looks unimpressive on paper, turns out to be the rock star salesperson you have been waiting years for? It’s also important to know that your mistakes are wonderful lessons for your team and that by sharing them, it makes you look more human and less like a monster.
The Wicked Witch of the West says ”Build a team that is loyal, inspired and engaged.”
Your team has the power to make or break your company. Have you ever called a business and been greeted by a less than enthusiastic receptionist that acted almost offended that you interrupted her day? Moments like that can end any potential client moving forward and over time, those losses add up to lost business, lost revenue and potentially the death of your business. An unhappy, bored sales person isn’t going to go out of their way to drum up sales. Anyone’s desk job can become punishment over time and no matter how many times you click your heels, the problem isn’t going to magically get better. It is so important to pay attention to your team and to communicate with them. Ask them about their goals, inquire about what they like and don’t like about the organization and then find ways to empower them. These acts will make a world of difference and you will find that as the team grows stronger so will the business.
Hannibal Lector says “Be confident in your particular brand of crazy.”
Nicola Tesla. Elon Musk. Teresa Ngo. Being a visionary takes courage, an open mind and super thick skin. It’s not easy building a business when 99% of everyone thinks that you are a bit nuts for venturing outside of the box. Teresa Ngo knew early on that she was going to run one of the best, most craved donut shops in all of Southern California. Some balked at her and thought, “Meh, just another donut shop.” Teresa has worked tirelessly and consistently for years and years and now, Blinkies Donuts is on every must-have donut list. She is on speed dial for hundreds of celebrities, corporations, sports teams and every party planner in Los Angeles. How did this happen? Because Teresa embraced her fears, made no apologies for her drive and pursued her dream. If only we could all be that crazy.
