I woke this morning to the Blackberry. Unfortunately it's usually in hand before I can officially open both eyes 100%. It's an issue I know ;)
So today I opened my BB to a perfect Monday morning blog post from Seth Godin. Seth is one of my favorites and also use to work at MessageMedia with both my husband and I.
It was so perfect I just had to share. What a way to start the week. His point is so right on and in alignment with our beliefs. What are you doing to inspire your customer, connect with them? How does what you do make their day happy or better? What can you share with your customers, partners and even competitors that will make their day when they open their Blackberry with one eye shut?
I think too many entrepreneurs get stuck in the belief that what you have is so different that you can't share your “secret sauce”! I think this is so far from the truth. There are many brands who in reality aren't that different. It's the brands that MAKE them DIFFERENT that stand out form the crowd.
I challenge you today to make lemonade not just sell lemons. Sell the lemons as input to your story. It's more than the lemons, more than the stand. SHARE how you feel in your heart about your products, how you got to where you are, how your experiences, production cycles can better the life of another person.
Don't be afraid to share the thing that might just make you the hottest lemonade stand on the block!
The best TRANSACTIONS are those that started with a CONVERSATION!
Blog post from Seth Godin:
The lesson from two lemonade stands
The first stand is run by two kids. They use Countrytime lemonade, paper cups and a bridge table. It's a decent lemonade stand, one in the long tradition of standard lemonade stands. It costs a dollar to buy a cup, which is a pretty good price, considering you get both the lemonade and the satisfaction of knowing you supported two kids.
The other stand is different. The lemonade is free, but there's a big tip jar. When you pull up, the owner of the stand beams as only a proud eleven year old girl can beam. She takes her time and reaches into a pail filled with ice and lemons. She pulls out a lemon. Slices it. Then she squeezes it with a clever little hand juicer.
The whole time that's she's squeezing, she's also talking to you, sharing her insights (and yes, her joy) about the power of lemonade to change your day. It's a beautiful day and she's in no real hurry. Lemonade doesn't hurry, she says. It gets made the right way or not at all. Then she urges you to take a bit less sugar, because it tastes better that way.
While you're talking, a dozen people who might have become customers drive on by because it appears to take too long. You don't mind, though, because you're engaged, almost entranced. A few people pull over and wait in line behind you.
Finally, once she's done, you put $5 in the jar, because your free lemonade was worth at least twice that. Well, maybe the lemonade itself was worth $3, but you'd happily pay again for the transaction. It touched you. In fact, it changed you.
Which entrepreneur do you think has a brighter future?
