Every once in a while during your presentation, the screensaver on the screen behind you activates.  Each time, you walk over to the computer and move the mouse so the screensaver goes away.  A little bit later, it happens again.

You could keep moving the mouse every so often to get rid of the screensaver.  Or you could simply just turn it off.

Temporarily solutions to a problem are just that - temporary.  But if the problem continues to persist (and you're sure it will), a permanent fix makes more sense, right?

Surprising how many companies don't see it this way.

Are you slapping on a band-aid or fixing the problem for good?

When do you stop melding your product or service to fit everyone's specific little needs?  When do you proclaim they either like it or find something else?

Might sound a little harsh, but after all, it's your creation, right?  Some of the greatest brands in the world have appeal to a select group of people.  And those brands aren't concerned with reaching every other group of people.  

On the other hand, some products or services evolve over time beautifully due to customer ideas and innovations.  The products or services are stronger now than they ever were before the customers laid their hands on them.

Who knows best about your product - you or your customers?

When's the last time you started a lively conversation?  Something that had people chiming in for a long time.  Something that had people dying to make their voice heard.

When's the last time you continued a lively conversation?  Maybe you added something that sparked responses and more questions.  Or maybe you simply brought the conversation to a new crowd.

Healthy, lively conversation is a great thing and can be beneficial to individuals and businesses alike.  I wonder though, is it better to start a great conversation or continue one?

We talk a lot about brand loyalty and devotion.  The idea that people love the brands they buy products from due to some sort of feeling of belonging or relation.

In theory, it all makes sense.  But I'm curious as to the reality of it all.  Do we actually care that much?  Or are we mostly indifferent?  Let's explore.

Are you loyal to a brand? Why or why not, specifically?

Please leave your thoughts in the comments below. 

Price is a funny thing, isn't it?

I'll pay extra money for a solid Apple laptop, but I wouldn't dream of spending hundreds of dollars on a set of knives.  I mean, come on, they're knives!

You may have no problem spending $65 on a pair of swanky jeans.  But you'd never spend $2,000 on a laptop (no matter the brand).

It all boils down to the value we place on specific products and services.  How much is a car wash worth to you? Probably depends on how much your car is worth to you, right?

What product/service would you never pay a ton for? What would you pay a ton for? Why?

At the end of the day, what's important to you?

Family?
Work?
Fame?
Money?
Soup kitchens?
Your son?
Your sister's daughter?
Health?
Ripe tomatoes?

Answer that question and you're set.  Because that's what matters.

The rest is just gravy.

Doing something unexpected in an unexpected place is sure to get you noticed.  Being different always trumps being the same.

But this sort of behavior comes with conditions.

You can't just piss off everyone in a room and claim you're doing something unexpected in an unexpected place.  You'll lose their respect and your being different will be drowned in the anger.

You need to be strategic with your being different.  If you're looking to reach a group of church going folk, standing up during the homily and spewing your message won't work.  It's different and unexpected, but it's also disrespectful.

Are you doing something (respectful and) unexpected in an unexpected place?

Some fans love the lyrics to the songs.  They appreciate the beauty of the poetry and the gentle touch of the perfect lyric at the perfect spot.

Some fans love the melody of the songs.  The way the notes sing their way through the pastures of time, along cliffs of danger and fields of safety.

Some fans love the experience.  They couldn't give a shit about the lyrics or the melody.  They simply love being amongst dozens or hundreds or millions of other fans who share their love.

What do your fans love the most about you?

We live in a world of escalators.  Stairs that strip away all work on your part and simply move you to your destination.  

Yet we walk up escalators.  If we're really in a hurry, we run up escalators.  Fast isn't fast enough for us.  Easy isn't easy enough for us.

Gary Vaynerchuk is the poster boy for the idea of hustling.  Those who hustle will succeed.  I'm all for working your ass off to achieve what you want to achieve.  And I firmly believe that hard work pays off.

But at what point are we going too fast?  At what point will we trip running up the escalator?

How fast do you have to move to succeed?

We've all met them.  The person who hates everything.  The person who believes it's all against them.  The person who wants to take you down with them.

They want a rise out of you.  And most of the time, you're tempted to give it to them.  Because they piss you off like no other.  But you're better than that, right?

One piece of advice is to simply ignore these people.  There's no changing them and they're going to keep doing it anyways.

Another piece of advice is to deal with them in a civil manner.  Don't try to win but rather acknowledge them and then move on.

What do you think? How do you handle the debbie downers?

Radio show hosts are some of the most loved people.  Listeners absolutely love their favorite hosts because of their humor, their similar ways of thinking, and their style of show.

Listeners feel like they know the hosts.  Like they've known each other for years and are good friends.

Some listeners talk about the hosts during their regular day, when the show isn't even on.  About how they agreed with the hosts or disagreed or wondered why they shop where they do.

Do your customers know you as well as their favorite radio show hosts?

I saw a sign in the window of a cafe the other day that said "Under new management".  Struck me as an odd choice of words.  The phrase leaves out the part about leading.

There's a big difference between managing and leading.  Many cafes have management.  And some get new management from time to time.  But what about new leadership?

What if the sign instead said "Under new leadership"?  Would the cafe stand out more to you?

Cold medicine is a seemingly simple product.  The various versions cure all the same symptoms in generally the same amount of time.  There's little room for variety, other than packaging and the wackiest commercial idea.

But cold medicine is very personal when you think about it.  Only certain cold medicine will work for you.

Comtrex usually works for me.  But it might not work for you.  Tylenol Sinus and Cold may instead.  Or some version of Advil or DayQuil or Mucinex or a generic brand.  Despite all the cold medicines out there offering the same solution, you simply need one that works for you.  One that gets along with you.

Your customers are the same way when they decide whether or not to use your service or buy your product.  There's a whole aisle of other companies offering the same.  

Are you the best fit for your customers?

I don't have the secrets to success.  I've shared my thoughts/tips/concerns/feelings with you so far, so nothing's secret here.

But today isn't about me.  Today is about you.  There's a ton of great content out on the web, so I've gathered some starting points for ya.  Have fun, I'll see ya tomorrow! :)

Richard Milington discusses everything community over at FeverBee.

Mack Collier rocks out everything social media over at The Viral Garden.

Carlos Miceli may write few words but his messages over at Owl Sparks are anything but little.

Andrew Weaver gets me thinking everytime I read his posts over at Leave It To Weaver.

Matt Cheuvront explains life over at Life Without Pants.

Danny Brown is making the world a better place one post at a time over at his blog.

Remember that game at the carnival where you shoot the water gun at the target to move your horse?

That's a really hard game.

First, it requires precision.  You have to shoot your water directly at that target or your horse isn't going anywhere.

Second, it requires determination.  Sometimes it seems that no matter how precise your shooting is, that horse isn't moving any faster.  Feels like the harder you shoot the water, the faster your horse should move, right? Not always the case.

Third, it requires a lot of loud cheering.  Once in a while the quiet kid on the end wins, but often times it's the young boy with his family who was cheering excitedly the whole time.  He wanted that giant panda, bad.

Sounds a lot like your business, doesn't it?

It's a fun game.

Is your horse going anywhere?