Trent365

A great quote from the movie AD ASTRA.

Great in that it has a few different angles or perspectives.

It could be that, when looking at something amazingly beautiful, sometimes all we can see is what's missing. What's not there.

Or, as I believe it was meant in the context of this movie, sometimes we want to believe in something so much, that even if we can't see it, we still believe it is there. We can only see what we want to see.

Perspective is a fascinating thing.

#perspective #moviequotes #viewpoint

Snails and Hermit Crabs both need bigger shells as they grow.

For the Hermit Crab, he just gets out of his now-too-small shell and finds a bigger one to move into.

For the Snail, he secretes a calcium carbonate from a gland that gets added to the edge of the current shell, thus growing the shell as it goes.

Two creatures. Same problem. Two very different solutions.

Now, I'm sure there's a great metaphor in there somewhere about 'life' or 'taking your shell with you as you grow' or something...

but I'm not really interested in all that.

I just think it's worth taking a moment to marvel at Mother Nature sometimes.

#mothernature #metaphors #lifelessons

Listen to the very best storytellers and you'll realise that most important and most compelling parts of the story happen either immediately before or immediately after...a pause.

They use the pause to great effect.

Whether it's a pause for anticipation or a pause to allow the listener or reader time to comprehend and understand and appreciate the story, the pause is valuable.

In today's world where we are so focussed on short stories and short attention spans, we can often forget the pause.

Now we have your attention we want to speak quicker to make sure you don't lose interest.

But even in the shortest Snap or Instagram or TikTok story, there is always time...for a pause.

#storytelling #pause #attention

We often talk about how a brand is ultimately defined by its people.

And not just the people inside the brand, but those outside too.

By the fans of the brand. By its customers. 

So it follows that if the fans of your brand are showing negative behaviours, especially when associating with your brand, (like when wearing your t-shirt) then your brand may come to be defined in that negative light.

As the owner of the brand, you need to be attuned to all of your follower's behaviours - positive and negative - and be ready to counteract the negatives.

#branding #fans #followers

It's what I refer to as the Transactional Contradiction.

We're told to promote the Benefits of our product or service because people buy Benefits, not Features.

Benefits surely appeal to our Rational self, right?

And yet we're also told that buying decisions are predominantly Emotional, not Rational.

So what to do?

Once you understand the concept of Emotional Benefits, it all makes sense.

Take a listen to this...

#benefits #features #buyingdecisions

It seems like an obvious thing to say that you want people to buy your products and take them home.

But the most important part is...'take them home'.

Because once they take you home, you're in their lives.

Your product and your brand becomes part of their routine.

We are all creatures of habit and routines.

So, once you are in...it's yours to lose!

Think less about the actual revenue from the sale, and more in terms of how you can incentivise them to take your product home.

Maybe a free gift on checkout?

Maybe free delivery?

It doesn't matter how your product gets into their home...as long as you get there.

#retailstrategy #productstrategy #marketing

I believe we all fall into one of two general classifications...

Gun Jumpers or Clear Smokers.

The Gun Jumpers, as you would imagine, tend to jump the gun. They go off half-cocked a lot of the time. And as a result, they can often be forced to reset and recalibrate and U-turn.

The Clear Smokers wait until after the gun has gone off. Until the smoke clears. Until the path forward has become a little more clear. Then the make their decision. 

Understanding with type you are, and more importantly which type your colleagues and team mates are, helps to better inform your communication and relationships.

So, which one are you?

A Gun Jumper or a Clear Smoker?

#personalitytypes #peoplemanagement #selfawareness

If you're planning to be a new entrant in an existing market, you will ultimately be competing against the market leader.

That can be a daunting task. Especially if that market leader has a dominant share of the market.

But, there's always room for more than one leader in a market.

Think about it. 

How many markets or industries can you think of where there is only one known brand? Not many.

Sure, there can only be one #1...but there can always be more than one leader.

#marketing #marketleader #marketopportunities

We all have our Limits.

Lines we will not cross. Risks we will not take.

These Limits are formed as a result of the experiences we have had over the course of our life.

But that's exactly the same way that we form our Prejudices too.

Limits help us lead a safe, engaged and fulfilling life.

Prejudices stop us from doing this.

So just beware that your Limits are not a result of your Prejudices.

In short... Limits are Good....Prejudices are Bad.

#limits #prejudice #selfawareness

We tend to demonise the short news cycle.

Today's lead story of a terrible tragedy will literally be yesterday's news by tomorrow.

I appreciate that these tragedies, whatever the are and whomever they involve, deserve to be remembered. We should not forget.

But, who says that today's tragedy is any more or less important than tomorrow's?

I'm sure the people impacted by tomorrow's crisis believe it deserves our attention too.

In that sense, the short news cycle actually helps ensure that tomorrow's stories can also be told...and that's a good thing.

#breakingnews #newsheadlines #tomorrow