One of my favorite reads in the past year was Gary Gulman’s Comedy Tips: The Complete Collection.
[I know, I’m 5 years behind, bear with me]
In it, he shares daily tips, tricks, and insights from his career.
No strings, no guarantees, just free thoughts and pointers.
In that spirit, I thought it might be fun to do some daily strategy thoughts – things I’ve picked up from my years of doing something not as funny, but sometimes just as entertaining.
So like Gary says, “don’t follow all of them to the letter… question some of them… embrace some of them… [and certainly] adjust them for your personal makeup.” Maybe together we can make strategy a little more familiar to everyone.
Even though I do most of my client meetings online,
I never use notecards when I present.
People wondered if I was too lazy to write anything down,
But it was mainly because questions from clients rarely followed a script, and some things I would have never guessed
(nor thought about writing down).
But the main reason is that
strategy doesn’t just distill down to a set of 4X6 index cards.
It’s trust.
Trust in the strategy,
And the strategist,
That I found every data point,
Analyzed every competitive influence,
And harnessed every layer of expertise I could.
Instead of looking down at an index card,
I could make sure the client was heard and understood,
and they trust they’ll have our full attention and focus,
especially after they sign on the dotted line.
[And if anyone can make a 4X6 index card that fits all that,
I’ll be your spokesperson!]
I find that I don’t have to be Tolkien, Orwell, or Tolstoy.
However, a strategy can be enhanced with a compelling story.
If I were to parse it out, it would go something like –
Exposition- where we’ve been, what we’ve learned.
Conflict- what the client is up against, what they are asking,
(And what they need to succeed)
Resolution- how we have built a solution
A strategy that drives the best possible outcome,
Or ending to the story
[With just enough momentum for a sequel].
Why am I building this strategy?
If you’re not careful,
Strategy can plow ahead without stopping to ask
Do I really understand what is being asked?
What the client wants?
Or why they called me in the first place?
If you notice you haven’t stopped to look at things from their
point of view, maybe stop for a second,
Put on their shoes and walk around for a bit
[Unless they overpronate, then skip the shoe metaphor]
10+ Years in Strategy
20+ Years Teaching and Practicing Motivation
40+ Years Wondering What It All Means.
