December 2020 – John Walter Bay

In a recent interview with South Snippets, we talked about humanizing the engagement process. Social Media has made it easier for brands to engage with their audience but what is more important is that unlike mainstream media, SocMed is based around communities that share experiences. Algorithms are designed around behavior and much of what is being measured is an individual’s reaction or engagement with the content.

In Fleming Ph.D and Asplund’s book “The Human Sigma” there was a compelling statement where they dedicated an entire chapter on: “Feelings are Facts.” As a matter of fact (pun intended) Donna and I spoke about the emotional nature of social media management. It is a subject that every good brand should get right. On another scale shown by a former colleague, we could see how we should move up and down, or move across the scale in turning non-customers into fans. The secret is in managing the human encounter and their “feelings/emotions”.

Take a look at the image above this page, and have a look at the scale below:

Where can you find your business relationships along this scale?

The ability to turn True-blue non-customers and suspects into raving fans depends on the degree of emotional engagement the business or individual has with his customers. In review of Fleming and Asplund’s framework, we need to start at confidence at the very base and gradually moving up from confidence to integrity, integrity to pride, and finally from pride to passion.

Where is your business or brand along these scales? Do you have customers or do you have fans? Do your customers trust your reputation and thereby confident in you? Do you always speak the truth (as I drilled on with South Snippets)? Do you always deliver on your commitments? This builds into your “Integrity”. Does your track-record build “Trust”? Will they always listen and act upon your advice? Will they listen to “just you” outside of all the noise? Can they live in a world without you? If it’s a Yes to the last question, then you’ve reached “Passion”.

The more customers are emotionally engaged or attached, the harder it is for anybody else to steal that “relationship”.

Invest in meaningful relationships. Don’t be afraid of feelings. They are real. Acknowledge them. Manage the emotional encounter and its subsequent exchange. Make it authentic.

If you have any questions, or wish to talk about these frameworks, please leave a note below. I’ll be happy to entertain your questions.

One of the inspirations behind our VideoCast series #PSQ (Pivot Strategies Quarantine) is based on a book I’ve been reading called “Antifragile. Things That Gain from Disorder” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Taleb often refers to a “Black Swan” a word that is fondly referred to by “Never Split The Difference” author Chris Voss as a rare moment that also spells opportunity. A Black Swan is a rare occurrence with extreme consequences.

“There is opportunity in any crisis”. So a supposed cliched Chinese proverb goes. What I do find in the characters of entrepreneurs; Many of which are on the path to success is the character of being “Antifragile”.

Maripaz of Mama Paz’s Premium Baked Spaghetti has been through several businesses since I’ve known her. But it actually took a crisis like this for her business to take off! Many businesses need to be edited and distilled before the winning formula is reached. This one was made right by KISS. “Keeping it Simple”.

While I’ve known and have done business with Mike of Kickstart Coffee, one of the most memorable times I met him was in front of Cafe Breton just a few days after I got a redundancy as the Vice President and Head of Revenues of a Tech Company. I’ll talk about this in a later blog entitled “The Anatomy of Getting Fired”. Notwithstanding, one of the greatest things I admire about Mike was his courage to take a leap of faith; even when the chips are down. In his case, a Blue Chip! Who would’ve known that a company like Lehman Brothers would collapse in 2008?

The Antifragile is a different animal altogether. In the book, Taleb describes 3 types of people.

The Fragile: People who will break during a crisis and disorder
The Robust: People who could survive a crisis
The Antifragile: People who come back swinging back even harder!

He refers to the Hydra of Greek Myth who when having its head cut off will grow back two more in return and fight even more ferociously!

Some people and their businesses will be demolished by this pandemic. Some will weather through. But very few will come back even better or use this Black Swan event as an opportunity. They will come out of this crisis not restored, but transformed into something better and stronger.

What about you?

Are you Fragile? Are you robust? Or are you Antifragile?

Share your thoughts with us.