Archive of posts from June 2019

Ever have the fear in the back of your mind that your product or service may not be worth it?

If so, good, it’s a healthy concern:

It reveals what matters.

Perhaps there’s an add-on you’ve been pondering or a piece of work you’ve been thinking of cutting. By allowing ourselves the concern, “Does this work really matter?” we can isolate what was missing that we were too afraid to add. The things that we’ve pondered before, but were...

Are you unintentionally, unknowingly being D.U.M.B. in your cause-driven or sustainable business?

D is for Desperate.

When we don’t believe there’s more out there, we hang onto opportunities far too long. 

It could be an idea that stinks…but if it’s your only idea, you’ll run with it.

It could be a prospect that doesn’t need your product or service…but you continue to chase against your better judgement.

There’s always more out there if you keep at it. Don’t be...

How involved are you with your own marketing.

If you’re like many cause-driven or sustainable brands, not nearly enough:

You can’t delegate marketing because marketing is everything you do. Your message is at the core of who you are. To delegate that is to delegate the vision behind the company.

But your company can recruit a team where marketing is operationally executed and philosophically discussed with you, if you choose. Ideally, with people who are excellent at defining your message....

Do you get caught in the weeds in your cause-driven or sustainable business?

Checking your sales figures. Again.

This is a popular one for eCommerce companies. Did they change? We turned on the ad, is it working yet?

These distracting “checking every couple hours” activities can be addictive, the and the FOMO will cost time as well as breaking your focus.

Setting a scheduled reporting check-in schedule allows you to put the FOMO and anxiety aside, so you can...

Sustainable and cause-driven companies–like their conventional counterparts–see a lot of urgency in the coming quarter, the coming year.

There are customers to acquire this month. There are competitors to outmaneuver this quarter.

From our focus on the short-term comes the pursuit of advancement, but the long-term sometimes tells us a different story:

Paper has outperformed digital media for archiving and retrieval in the past. We can still access the ancient writings of Seneca and Socrates, but not select science papers...

For your customers, that is.

See if you ever find yourself saying these phrases:

“They don’t understand”: Did you define their responsibilities? Perhaps refunds are up because your communication skills are down. What if your brand invested in better messaging, so those same customers can be secure in their understanding and appreciation for the process?

“There’s no pleasing them”: Did you understand what would please them? Or has your company simply been throwing guesswork at them in hope you’ll strike...

If your cause-driven company offers a product or service that is better in every way than that of your competitors…

…but nobody knows it’s there, or how or use it…

Then is it really better in every way?

Let’s say the technology in your clothing material that enables it to adapt to your body shape, while also being more durable and long-lasting than competing product fibers.

Does that do us any good if we don’t know it can do those...

If you’re a sustainable or cause-driven company, you should consider the kind of future you’re building:

The first type is the “charge for your beliefs, pay for your beliefs” model. Take Apple’s products as an example. Are they the best? Debatable, but that’s their pursuit. Are their stores the best? Debatable, but they try to make it more human. Are their staff looked after? Depends, their US workers are generally well looked after, paid a good rate, and are proud...

Ever bought a book that has a great message, but is painful to read?

Sometimes, that’s how sustainable and cause-driven companies behave in the marketplace. We just don’t notice it in ourselves.

I struggle to not finish a book, even if it’s a chore to read. I want the insights, the lessons, the takeaways, even if it takes some chewing to digest. But in the market, customers and prospects aren’t prepared to chew. They need your message spoon-fed to them...

Can achieving greatness be documented?

Can “any” sustainable or cause-driven company change the world?

Can we “follow the steps” to greatness?

We read the question and intuitively think, “Of course not, if it was that easy,  everyone would be great.”

And in there lies our first mistake:

We assume everyone will take action on what they learn.

…When they won’t.

Thanks to the Internet, we have access to as many documented paths to greatness as we could ever hope for.

How many sustainable businesses do you think start up but lose their meaning along the way?

Culprit 1: The marketing world

When faced with the promise of untold riches with a single technique or purchase, many experience a lull in their convictions. The Facebook ad that will ‘change your life.’ ‘You’re only one funnel away’ to success beyond measure. It’s a lie, but one many choose to believe.

It takes a brave soul to stand off against these messages. Moreover,...

How committed do you believe you are to your company, your clients, and your cause?

There’s a good chance there’s a gap between where you think you are, and where you actually are.

If you’ve ever attempted to recruit people onto your team, you’ll have seen people making this mistake over and over again.

But you may not have seen it in yourself. See if you can spot the pattern:

When you don’t fully commit to a job application, you...