Marketing Tricks #01 - Time Limited Offers

"For today only, this product is 60% off". I've witnessed this one myself - "if you want to sign up for this programme, you have exactly 7 minutes from now. Do it at the back of the hall". A giant countdown timer starts on the screen like a ticking bomb. 

Such a technique gives potential buyers little time to think, and plays on their fear of missing out (FOMO). 

What to do with this information: 

When you are a buyer, recognise these tricks and don't let them affect you making the right decision. Don't hate marketers. It is their job to help sellers connect to their target audience. As a buyer it is your responsibility to understand the product and whether it fits you. 

When you are a seller, this is a trick you can use. No matter how well you market, you must still have a good product if you want to stay in business. Do right by your customers. 

Should you be a "bossy" boss?

 

A. Be a friendly boss people feel close to. They are willing to open up to you and share their fears, joys and dreams. They do not hide mistakes from you out of fear of getting scolded. You are a trusted friend to them. 

B. Be a boss people will fear a little. You are a leader not a peer. You can be friendly and will mingle, but staff needs to remember who is boss. It's normal to feel lonely at the top. You want to get things done. Work is not a family or a friendship club. You are an authority figure people will respect and follow. 

What's your school of thought? 

Tips in conflict management - demolish established positions

In the workspace, some conflicts arise not because of the issue at hand, but because the conflicting parties are already entrenched in different positions. They perceive the other as an enemy, and the issue at hand becomes just an excuse to fight again. They lose objectivity. To get these people to talk, you have to shift their mindsets to new roles, and remind them what the real issue is and what the priorities are.  

This actually applies in a family setting too. 

Deep listening

 

Have you ever felt impatient when listening to someone?

You feel like interrupting, "Can we get to the point now?"  You start to fret and display annoyance. You can't wait for your turn to say something. 

Sometimes we need to catch ourselves doing these, and remind ourselves to truly listen to what is being conveyed behind what our friend is saying. Is it a plea for help? Is he trying to sell me something? Is she trying to convince me of a point? Does he just need someone to listen? When we are able to understand the problem, we can better help solve it. 

Keeping Your Word

 

Something simple that many leaders neglect - keeping your word. A quick way to lose trust of your people is making a declaration, and then never follow-up on what you have said. When you don't have anyone else holding you accountable for what you have promised, it is crucial that you do so yourself. I have seen leaders who tout share options, only to keep mum afterwards. I have seen leaders who promise staff half of profit, and follow through with no delay. If you want to build a high performance culture, the first person you hold accountable is yourself. 

This and other tips in my book Every Employee an Entrepreneur: 

• Shopee Malaysia
• Lazada Malaysia
• Google Playstore e-book
• Amazon
• Amazon Kindle e-book

Tips in interviewing people - questions not to ask

Don't ask questions that you know you'll get standard and superficial answers for. "Can you work under stress?" "Are you a fast learner?" What do you expect the candidate to say? They'll just say yes. 

When crafting questions to ask interview candidates, you must think ahead how they will answer, so that you'll get useful information. "Tell me about your most stressful project at your current job." "What was the most challenging new skill you had to learn on the job?" Job interviews are too short for you to know a person well. Both you and the candidate are trying to present your best selves, inadvertently withholding some information and exaggerating others.  

Craft your questions well. Ask deep questions that allow you to understand the candidate better. 

The Great Resignation

 

This is a movement encouraging people to quit their jobs en masse in autumn of 2021, after enjoying the benefits of a full-time job through summer. The worldwide pandemic has shaken the beliefs of many people, making them rethink their life choices. I believe it is a good thing that people have more clarity on their priorities and goals, and take action to align their lives accordingly. 

For business organisations, job security and a pay cheque is no longer enough to retain talent. What purpose does your organisation serve? What values do you stand for? Are your goals aligned with those of your employees? Do you communicate them to your employees? 

ABBA returns

ABBA - when friends come together after 40 years to make music again.

My game design which won the international 2021 9-card game design contest is named Dancing Queen, after ABBA's hit song from the 1970's. And then I learned about this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRT2ZTRR1ps

Who's a Star Trek fan?

 

Star Trek has some leadership lessons, and today I'd like to share a toilet graffiti. The leadership lesson here? Timely communication is important.

Don't worship people

Admire. Respect. Learn From. Emulate. But never blindly worship. 

When we idolise a person, we twist their mistakes and flaws into qualities and strengths. We make excuses for them when they don't need us to. When we worship a person, we lose objectivity. That person you admire is just human, but has achieved great things despite his/her imperfections and weaknesses. That's important to remember.