Britt Raybould

Smart Business Strategy Doesn’t Always Require Data

August 22, 2013 By Britt Raybould

Your company may be really great at telling stories, but do you qualify as a storydoer?

A few weeks ago, I came across this idea of companies who are more than just storytellers. They’re also storydoers. Tyler Montague, the source of this idea, outlined six characteristics of a storydoing company:

They have a story

The story is about a larger ambition to make the world or people’s lives better

The story is understood and cared about by senior leadership outside of marketing

That story is being used to drive tangible action throughout the company: product development, HR policies, compensation, etc.

These actions add back up to a cohesive whole

Customers and partners are motivated to engage with the story and are actively using it to advance their own stories

Tyler and his partners went looking for hard statistical evidence to back up their contention that great companies are storydoers. It looks like they’re on their way to confirming numbers that support the theory. The question I want you to consider is why would you need numbers to justify anything on Tyler’s list?

All six items are strategies that could benefit any company. And yet Tyler went after hard data so he could convince people that the idea of storydoing led to business results worth pursuing.

There’s no question we have more data than ever before, and some of it is incredibly useful. So what comes next may sound sacrilegious to data devotees. We don’t always need reams of data to determine if something is good for business.

Tyler’s storydoing example is just one of many sound business strategies that gets more attention if there’s data to support it. But while we’re busy combing through the data, what are we missing? Have we missed an opportunity to make our businesses better because we needed numbers to make us feel comfortable?

I’m not recommending that we go back to ignoring data or only trusting our gut. I do recommend not letting a lack of data blind us to smart business strategy. Sometimes when you’re an entrepreneur it’s the only option available. You often don’t have enough data so say that one decisions clearly tops another.

I suspect that our love affair with data is tied to something that keeps most entrepreneurs and even seasoned business owners awake at night: the fear of failure. Data can make us better informed about some decisions, but it can also create an illusion that we’re making a decision without risk. Data may tell us more, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we’ve got the meaning right.

So the next time you see a strategy like Tyler’s to be a storydoing company, put it in context. If there’s numbers, pull up a spreadsheet and have a party. But if there’s not, use the skills and talent that got you into business in the first place and ask a simple question: does it have the potential to make my business better tomorrow than it is today?

Motivations Matter in Business Writing

August 20, 2013 By Britt Raybould

“We want you to buy our product or use our service.”

That’s the primary motivation of most business writing, right? It’s an easy assumption to make, but what if we’re wrong? What if the motivation isn’t quite so mercenary? What if the motivation of a business writer leans more towards helping people instead of prompting them to hit the “Buy Now” button? Then the question becomes why don’t readers see the real motivation more clearly? What’s happening that the reader’s assumption defaults to the mercenary instead of the helpful?

I believe it’s something simple: We never bothered to figured out what motivates our writing in the first place.

When we’re unclear about what motivates our writing (other than the obvious of checking something off the list) it’s easy for readers to misinterpret our intent. If given no guidance from the writer, then of course they’ll default to, “You want to sell me something.” Clearly some projects will be motivated by selling, but what about when it’s not? What if you’re trying to strike that balance between being helpful and being mercenary?

From books to ads, writing absorbs and reflects the world around us. George Orwell rightly noted that a writer will be influenced “by the age he lives in…he will have acquired an emotional attitude from which he will never completely escape.” Take a look around and you’ll see how our age has influenced what today’s writers produce. With short attention spans and evermore information available, it becomes that much more important for business writers to get really clear about their motivations for readers.

We (the general public) don’t trust companies. While some companies warrant this suspicion, others obviously don’t. So if you’re a writer facing these obstacles—time, information overload, trust—how can you counter these biases to accomplish something more than putting words on page?

1. Play the long game.

It’s rare that one or two attempts will be enough to communicate the true motivation of why you’re reaching out to people. The initial assumption is that you want something. It will take time to build trust and familiarize people with the difference between when you’re trying to sell them something and when you’re trying to share something useful.

2. If you don’t care about what you write, it’s difficult for the reader to care.

Ever had your business writing described as dry, boring or politically correct? You’re not alone. It’s easy to default to traditional business speak, but it’s possible to avoid if you take the time to find the most relevant entry point to connect the reader and the business. If you’re writing crap because you don’t care about what you’re writing, please explain to me why you think anyone will read past the first sentence. It sounds trite, but figure out a reason to care.

3. Write about why you’re writing.

Humans excel at making assumptions. So it’s no surprise that the humans in business assume that people just know why they’re doing what they’re doing. While it doesn’t have to be anything dramatic, like a manifesto shouted from the rooftops, put into words why you’re writing. It can become a reference point for writer, business, and reader alike. It provides an invaluable baseline to help you accomplish both #1 and #2 and provides a way to measure if you’re meeting reader expectations.

For decades, we’ve defaulted to the notion that business writing was motivated by making more money. It’s still a valid motivation, but it’s not the only one. Business writers and the businesses themselves must highlight the other motivations that exist and make the case that not all business writing is about sales, but also about being incredibly helpful sources of information.

Photo credit: tamahaji

Make Something Good Happen

August 15, 2013 By Britt Raybould

A few years ago, Seth Godin hit publish on a short post that inspired me and probably millions of others: Make Something Happen.

Over the years, we’ve watched as it get twisted into Make Anything Happen. It’s time we reclaim it, and I think it’s possible if we add one word: Make Something Good Happen.

Good can be an incredibly subjective word and idea, but it gives us a baseline, and by focusing on that baseline we’ve got a filter of sorts for our actions. It’s a filter that I think entrepreneurs and established businesses alike need to adopt. For instance, a few months ago Andy Hayes captured in perfect detail some ongoing issues with Software as a Service (SAAS) and how a Make Something (Anything) Happen attitude can frustrate users:

For example, in just the past week:

Flickr changed their entire website design, and pretty much got rid of their pro plan, which I pay for just for the photo storage. Their “update” to users on the changes was so confusing, I had to go read the Mashable article just to understand.

Gmail kicked me into their new “composer” menu, which violates a whole slew of user experience principles. They’re Google, which i suppose gives them license to do what they want, but it breaks Rapportive, the second most important tool for my business (as when you put in an email for a new contact, it shows you their social media links, bio, etc.) And neither Google nor Rapportive seems to care.

Producteev (acquired by Jive Software) has basically closed down my entire backoffice the past 2 days, with no end in sight. They did an unannounced software upgrade, removing key features that we chose Producteev specifically for. But the worst thing is they didn’t tell anyone about the upgrade, and it’s not gone well, so ALL of my mission critical data is now floating in the ether – business development lists, editorial calendars for my magazine, future billing schedules – all gone. And I am a paying customer – I paid because I didn’t trust a free service, and I got burnt because of it.

Our obsession with having the latest and greatest has tricked business into thinking that if we’re not constantly offered updates we’ll leave for something new. Obviously if there’s a known problem with a product or service that gets ignored, then yes, we’ll look elsewhere. But I don’t (and I suspect you don’t either) lie awake at night hoping there’s a notice on my phone to update all my apps every morning. Change for the sake of change clearly falls under Make Anything Happen.

So what does it look like to Make Something Good Happen?

It looks a lot like a to-do list filled with solving problems, answering questions, and giving people a pleasant surprise. On Seth’s original list he highlighted launching an idea, posting a post, running an ad, or calling a customer. In a good situation, all of those ideas still resonate. It’s how you apply them that matters. I particularly like the idea of calling a customer. What if once a day you called one of your customers? Not to sell them anything, but to check in, to see if they have any questions or to follow up an earlier issue. That’s making something happen in a way that makes you memorable for the best kind of reasons.

I don’t accept that the only way to “keep up” with the competition is to look like we’re doing something even if in the big scheme of things we’re actually doing very little. You owe it to yourself and to your customers to deliver substance that offers real value, answers a question or solves a problem. Obviously it’s incredibly easy to Make Anything Happen, to default to a lower standard, but your customers will notice and appreciate the difference when you Make Something Good Happen.

Photo credit: Steve Rhodes

Writing is a Job—Treat It With Respect

August 13, 2013 By Britt Raybould

I love writing, but I make no pretense about why I do it: It pays the bills. Time doesn’t allow for me to be anything other than practical, even when it involves this thing I love. It’s a reality that I see many writers struggle with, particularly if they got into writing with the idea that some day they would write The Great American Novel.

I get excited about my clients’ projects and ideas, usually because I’m challenged to think of a better, smarter way to capture what’s amazing about their work. However, I don’t look for ways to romanticize how I write about their latest product or market strategy. Writing is my job, and I do my best to treat it with the respect both it and my clients deserve. Yes, I do get writer’s block, but project deadlines often require that I pull out the metaphorical jack hammer.

It may seem counter-intuitive, but forcing the issue provides the necessary perspective to get the job done and usually done well. I completely understand the need to take a break or look for inspiration elsewhere. However, what separates the professional from the amateur comes down to pushing through, to not letting yourself off the hook.

This isn’t about process, because different writers work successfully in different ways. It is about intent.

What do I mean by intent? This post was originally inspired during a re-read of William Zinsser’s On Writing Well. Early on in the book he shares a story from when he participated on a writing panel. He offered up these words of advice to the audience of aspiring writers:

“If your job is to write everyday, you learn to do it like any other job.”

When you sit down to write, do you give it your full attention? Do you give it the respect of a job or do you treat it as a hobby? It matters little to me if it’s a blog post or a book. If you’re serious about writing, you need to understand your intent and what you’re willing to commit. If you aren’t willing to take what you do seriously how can you expect anyone to take the results of your work seriously?

Writing asks something of the writer, and in return, the act of putting words on a page, can give us something back—the perfect sentence, the clear paragraph, even the thought-provoking page. It’s why I bristle when someone offhandedly says, “Maybe I’ll try writing someday.”

“Trying” when it comes to writing isn’t enough. It’s not enough for the writer and it certainly isn’t enough for the client. If you’ve embraced writing as something more than a hobby, understand that we don’t have the luxury of taking a day off from it because we aren’t in the mood. We must find a way to get words on the page, to treat writing, as Zinsser notes, like any other job. That’s what makes you a writer.

Photo credit: ed_needs_a_bicycle

The Entrepreneur’s Trap: Doing One Thing Well

July 9, 2013 By Britt Raybould

When you start a business, one of the oft-heard admonitions is to avoid trying to be all things to all people. It’s the classic jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none philosophy.

On the surface, it makes perfect sense. Identify your niche and the very specific way you can offer a service or product to improve your odds of succeeding. However, what happens when you fall into the trap of doing one thing so well that it blinds you to what’s happening around you?

This blind spot came to mind when I saw a recent list of brands that no longer exist. Lehman Brothers, Washington Mutual, and Wachovia were obviously casualties of the financial crisis. But the one that caught my eye was the disappearance of Saab.

Saab had a niche and delivered a very specific product. But Saab made a mistake. It picked a niche that didn’t give it much flexibility or room for growth. So despite managing to do one thing really well for many years, Saab went bankrupt December 19, 2011.

In a report reviewing the demise of Saab, authors Matthias Holweg and Nick Oliver highlighted how Saab feel into the trap of relying on doing one thing well. But that one thing proved to have an expiration date:

Taking a wider perspective, the fundamental economics of the modern automotive industry simply can no longer support individualistic designs at the prices that Saab was able to command. Low volume producers can survive when their customers are ones with very deep pockets. If their customers don’t have deep pockets then they at least need to be plentiful in number. Sadly, Saab’s customers were neither.

Whether it was planned or not, Saab’s strategy placed it in the middle of the road, another aspect that doing one thing well can blind us to. We tell ourselves that because we focused on one thing we aren’t hedging our bets, but the entrepreneur’s trap opens wide if we’ve picked one thing that doesn’t inspire much emotion one way or the other.

For instance, one of the reasons restaurants like In-N-Out, Five Guys, and Shake Shack have made us willing to pony up $5+ for a burger is they’ve changed our expectations of a fast-food burger. We want this different experience. It’s such a clear step up from the McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King experience that it stands out. Even more interesting, if you take a look at their menus, the available options are fewer than what you see going through the standard drive-thru.

Now, they can get away with this strategy of offering fewer options at a higher cost, but only so long as they continue to deliver food that excels AND customers are willing to pay more for that experience. They’ve picked a side, they’re doing one thing well, and for now they’re avoiding the trap. In the coming years we’ll have to see how or if these companies can adapt if we move on from our love affair with expensive burgers.

So as you assess your options consider these questions:

Does my one thing give me room to grow?
What triggers can I add to help me see what’s happening around me even as I’m succeeding?
If the one thing I do well stops being needed, how could I transition to something else?

To be clear, doing one thing well isn’t the primary problem you face. Instead it’s assuming that doing one thing well is all the strategy you need to succeed as an entrepreneur.

Photo credit: Vilseskogen