The Domino Effect

The Domino Effect is how marketing moves from omni-channels and the abundance of customer data to targeted channels and agile sales-to-customer go-to market approach. (If you want to know more, there are plenty of consultants who will gladly explain it for a fee!)

Well, there's a perversion of this that I like to call the Domino Syndrome and it shows up in our comms and messaging in for-profits and non-profits alike - it's ugly and kills our chances at success.

This Syndrome usually rears its ugly head in the name of operational transparency - showing how the sausage is made by the business or organization eager to justify itself, defend it's uniqueness (because everyone is unique, right?!). It says things like, "You need to understand" a lot - because if 'they' only knew what we know, they'd love us!

But "they" don't need to understand, we do. Empathy is our job to sense their problems, aspirations, and they can see in their lives.

We offer long monologues detailing all the moving parts to how we're different, better, or change the world better than others.

And it is obvious in our elevator pitch - and echoes through our mission, vision, and values statements we force people to memorize.

I worked with a nonprofit that did just this - itemizing all 50 steps, people, and vendors who turned $1 into one egg in another hemisphere. It wasn't about how my $1 could change a child's life, it was about the nonprofit's competency.

Nonprofits do it routinely thinking it conveys competency – and competency is important especially when do-gooding and in exchange for cash we promise good feelings and a tote bag.

But competency prompted by insecurity is deadly.

Instead we’re looking for confidence – not over-confidence or bragging or selfishness or narcissism in marketing and messaging where in order for us to be right no one else can be right.

Confidence sounds like one of my favorite words – unapologetic. I love that word, and if you learn to love it – your messaging and marketing will change for the better.

And the elevator pitch avoids, "Can I tell you about me, myself, and the great product or service I perform?” and goes with, “You’re probably frustrated that you can’t solve this problem – it keeps you up at night – and you’re ready to solve it, not just put a band aid on it – does that sound like you?”

And what comes next?

I call it "Having the talk"