leadership dot #1560: membership

Yesterday I wrote about the addictive qualities of Netflix, and how their formula is working on a personal level. Netflix seems to be a hit with others as well.

I heard about Netflix's corporate success on a recent webinar I watched that promoted the benefits of subscription services. The presenter, Stu McLaren, was sharing information on the growth of membership sites and how recurring purchase plans have become the new form of commerce. It gives a whole new meaning to "it keeps going and going."

Consider this diagram that he showed. In a span of seven years, Blockbuster went from $6 billion in sales to bankruptcy, while in that same period Netflix went from nearly nothing to almost $7 billion in sales. 

And it's not just Netflix. Recurring memberships are now available in almost every product category: groceries, software, videos, music, razors, pet food, cosmetics, clothes, wine, flowers, beer -- you name it. And an even greater number of membership sites revolve around on-line learning: how to become a better artist, how to train your dog, how to cook healthy meals in under 20 minutes, how to build membership sites, etc. etc. etc. 

Think of how your organization can capitalize on this new form of purchasing. Can you offer educational content in a subscription format? Do you have products or services that you can provide on an on-going basis? What about creating a community that others will pay to join?

Before you dismiss membership sites as a small market fad, take another look at the Netflix/Blockbuster graph and consider which line you choose to follow.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

leadership dot #1559: going and going

Someone recommended that I watch the show Friday Night Lights, assuring me that it was a drama about well-developed characters more than it was about football. They were right. 

The show has not been on television since 2011, but thanks to Netflix I am able to watch all five seasons. And though I just started watching last week, I have already viewed all of Season 1. This is due to a confluence of two things: 1) the show is very good and 2) Netflix is designed for binge-watching.

Netflix gives a whole new meaning to couch potato. At least potatoes sprout eyes. Netflix takes less effort than that. The services packages its programming in ways that doesn't just allow, but actually promotes viewing marathons. Shows play continuously without any action on your part, and so, like the Energizer Bunny, they keep going and going in all of their commercial-free glory.

Think of how you can make your services packaged in such a way that they encourage continual involvement with your organization. Can you offer one piece of programming that is intentionally designed to leave people hanging, just a bit, and then deliver another program that immediately fulfills that demand? Could you assume that people will want on-going programming and just deliver it, without the interruption of re-registration? Maybe you could archive all of your content and allow people to easily access it in sequence and on-demand?

I had about an hour free one night and was afraid to turn on Netflix, because I knew, like the Jay's potato chips ad, I couldn't (eat) just one. It could be a great problem for your organization to have.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

leadership dot #1558: lime

I attended an event that featured a photo booth called "Lime." I went over to it expecting to see props involving the green fruit, but there was nothing "lime" associated with it at all. 

I asked the photographer why the company chose that name when there were no limes. He said that the owner was playing off the Apple theme -- when you hear Apple, you think computers and not fruit, and so he thought he could brand Lime into photo booths and not lemon's best friend.

At first, it sounds like a crazy theory, but the principle does have some merit. Think about what first comes to mind with these brands:

When you first hear --
> Snickers do you think of laughter or a candy bar?
> Camel are you referencing a dromedary or cigarettes?
> Amazon do you even consider that it is a river in South America?
> Polo are you thinking of a sport on horseback or a shirt?
> Taurus do you think of an astrological sign or a Ford car?
> Patagonia are you picturing a vacation in Chile or adventure wear?
> Pilot are you reaching for an aviator or a gel pen?
> Pampers do you think of verb or diapers?
> Rolling Stone do you picture a band or magazine or a tumbling rock?
> Outback does your mind wander to Australia or steak?
> Delta do you bring to mind a region in Mississippi or an airline?
> Shell do you think of a mollusk or a gas station?
> Dove do you picture a bird or a bar of soap with cleansing cream?


Your mind becomes used to things as you repeat them, and soon the definition shifts to the newer item instead of the original thought. Normal nouns become products and after time we associate the word with the brand.

When naming things, you don't have to devise an acronym or conjure up a new word. With enough repetition and exposure, Lime can what you think of when you first hear "photo booth." And if you doubt me, re-read the list above.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

leadership dot #1557: labor of love

Between thinking about my first seven jobs and the fact that it is Labor Day, I have been reflecting on previous positions and work that I have done. Some of my most enjoyable assignments revolved around the IBM Selectric typewriter.

I was a wizard with that machine, and it served me well through dozens of office placements via the temp agency and as the machine that powered my terms as program board secretary. Just seeing one brings back many happy memories.

So imagine my elatedness when I found an IBM Correcting Selectric II machine at Goodwill. (Well, maybe you can't imagine it, but try.) I was giddy. Here was this magnificent machine, even in the same blue I used in college. My very own Selectric!

I could not see a price, but was ready to take it home no matter what it was marked. We asked the clerk and I steeled myself for figuring out how I could fit it into my budget. The answer was $4. Four dollars. I would have easily paid ten times that.

So now I have my authentic blue Selectric, along with my old Royal, Underwood and Royal Safari. Between the four of them, I have paid less than $10 total and received immeasurable joy each time I glance at them on my shelves.

I think these old typewriters are a good metaphor for work. You may dismiss something that I love. I may find joy from something you want to be rid of. I can find pleasure in something that you see as a burden. And I can get giddy about something that does not move you at all.

I hope on this Labor Day and on all the days that follow, you find work that brings you as much enjoyment as my typewriter did -- and again does -- bring me.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

leadership dot #1556: collateral damage

Much has been written about the importance of bees, but in case you missed it, here are just two ways they contribute to a better world:

1. It is estimated that cross-pollination from bees helps 30% of the world’s food crops and 90% of wild plants to grow. That means, without bees, most of the plants, including food and native plants, would go extinct.

2. In the US, bees pollinate over $15 billion worth of crops. This includes favorites like apples, berries, cantaloupes, cucumbers, alfalfa, and almonds.

Bees have been dying in record numbers and scientists are working hard to preserve these amazing little life sustainers. So imagine the tragedy when 2.5 million bees were wiped out in a single day. 

Why? Because Dorchester County, South Carolina sprayed Naled insecticide from an airplane. It was an honorable effort, designed to kill Zika-carrying mosquitos, but it also destroyed colonies of honey bees in its path.

While well-intentioned, the mosquito spraying had disastrous consequences. Those in charge did not consider the implications, first that the bees would be harmed, and then what impact that will have on other crops now and in the future.

A good idea at first may not be a good idea on second thought. Consider the impact of the impact before you act.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Zika Mosquito Spray Kills Millions of Bees by Ben Guarino, TheWashingtonPost.com, September 1, 2016, 4:32am

Bee facts from National Resource Defense Council nrdc.org

leadership dot #1555: interloper

I woke the other morning to a big ruckus from my dogs. I thought there must be an intruder from the way they were barking and trying to get out onto my screened-in porch. 

I was right about the intrusion, but much to my surprise the interloper was a squirrel who had made its way onto my patio and was clinging for dear life to my hanging basket of flowers.

It was obvious that the animal was shaken by my presence and the barking. I immediately thought of Scaredy Squirrel, the series of great children's books by Melanie Watt that I wrote about in dot #797. But here was a literal scaredy squirrel, and despite my coaxing with peanuts and nudging with screen-shaking, he was planted. For 10 hours.

Both the dogs and I expended energy on its presence, but we didn't need to. What had been a focus for an hour and then took my attention throughout the day eventually became invisible and the problem took care of itself. 

Do you have situations like this visiting rodent where something out of the ordinary redirects your attention even though it is a non-event? The next time a metaphorical squirrel crawls into your porch, leave it be. 

Just because something is novel doesn't make it a priority. 

-- beth triplett

leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots

leadershipdots@gmail.com

Dot #797: go nuts  August 7, 2014

leadership dot #1554: pit crew

There are several different classifications of people that work within the same organization, and often it seems that one group has higher status than another. While this may be true in terms of qualifications or salary, it is good to remember that everyone plays a critical role to achieve organizational success.

I liken this differential to the race car drivers and their pit crew.

The driver may get all the accolades and attention, but without the pit crew the race could not go on. Seconds matter in the pit; the technicians there have precision and skill that the driver does not. The driver needs the pit crew and the crew relies on the driver. 

Most professions have a "driver" and a "pit crew" even if people don't like those labels. Academics has faculty, but without the administrative support and recruitment there would be no one to teach. Movies have actors and actresses, but without the camera crew, lighting technicians and script writers there would be no film. Doctors may administer procedures, but without the nurse, facilities maintenance, and ambulance driver there would be no patient in place. 

One role in the organization is no less essential to the overall -- or it should be eliminated. Everyone may not get the glory, but they all contribute to the goal.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com