Jan's Swag

My friend Susan is cool. She makes cools stuff. Best of all, she gives cool stuff to me. This is worthy of celebration and, obviously, comment since I’m motivated to write about it.

Being the fortunate recipient of unique designer gifts has made me consider the importance of giving cool stuff to people. Sadly, I lack the ability to create one-of-a-kind handbags, lavish beaded bracelets, or stylin’ cowls that make a fashion statement while eradicating the winter chill from necks bereft of a turtleneck sweater.

But my friend’s largesse raises the question of what are the rest of us doing? Are we giving cool stuff? What does that really mean? And how is it relevant as we encounter the necessity to earn a living? Rarely at a loss for words (ask anyone who knows me), I believe that my good fortune in having a gifted (and generous) friend reveals something important that the rest of us can use in the quest to be remarkable.

The sharing of the cool thing is just as important as the cool thing . You can be the creator of cool stuff (yeah, I know, I’m overusing the word). Or, you can be the conduit for sharing this useful, genuine, worthy-of-comment thing, idea, insight or information. It’s the selfless sharing of something that is meaningful to people. Even an intensely personal declaration like “I love my kitty”, can create a connection. Especially if it’s attached to a bigger idea (rescue kitties) or a diverting video clip of stupid cat stuff that makes people smile. But beware of sharing that forgets about the recipient. In some circles that’s called ‘blurting’, and it’s almost always boring.

Personal relevance equals remarkable. People talk (if you’re really good) they rave about you, your product, your service or your cause. Why? Because it’s relevant to their experience. And if you’ve done something remarkable, like salvage a customer service problem gone horribly wrong, that’s cool. And people will share their experience because, well, it’s remarkable. The opposite also applies, so serve up some cool and save yourself a lot of grief.

Appreciation is a pay back that pays off. When someone gives you something cool (a referral, an insight, or the name of a good facialist) appreciation is the way you pay it back. Then your sincere appreciation (this has to be communicated not just thought inside your head) inspires you to engage in a cycle of sharing and exchanging. And, one step at a time, this is how relationships are built. Let’s not forget, you can also pay it forward and be proactive about sharing your appreciation. Reciprocity isn’t a given, and you sure won’t get it if that’s why you’re doing it.

I appreciate my friend and creative co-conspirator Susan Bachman. Yeah, she makes cool stuff and better yet, she gives cool stuff to me. Best of all, she gets me and I get her. And, on occasion, I get her handbags at Banana Republic. They’re not handmade, but they are cool, and they’re given with sincere appreciation.

What about you? Are you or your company creating, sharing and showing appreciation for cool stuff? I’m talking about the world of ideas and information too, not just swag or lumpy objects large and small. If you are, I’ll say it one more time. That’s cool. And it’s worth talking about.

This week I listened to a teleseminar presented by Elizabeth Marshall with Author Teleseminars. The notable guests were Guy Kawasaki, Rich Sloan, Pam Slim and Andy Sernovitz. Each of them served up uncommon wisdom about business that has nothing to do with business as usual.

As someone who believes in the power of personality and authenticity to build rewarding relationships (on and offline) I was delighted with the panelists’ comments. Though I don’t remember who said it, one thing in particular stuck in my head. It was a simple question that we should ask ourselves when evaluating any idea. Here it is. Would anybody tell a friend?

Wow! What a great idea evaluator. So why would someone tell a friend about your business, your podcast, your anything?

Well. there’s the cool factor. It makes me laugh. It makes me feel good. It captures my imagination. It’s interesting. And it’s important to me.

Then, there’s the ‘I get it’ factor. This ‘thing’ (even a complex thing) is understandable. It’s clear and simple (even more important when it’s complex). It’s a good deal. It’s in my best interest.

And finally, there’s the ‘I want it’ factor. It comforts me. It elevates my status. It expresses the wonderful quirkiness of me. It makes me feel (supply any of the following) sexy, powerful, beautiful, and popular or other emotional drivers.

My creative partner Susan and I frequently encounter businesses in search of a personality. These are perfectly fine people, it’s just that their collective corporate persona is devoid of anything resembling human. The language landscape is over-populated with facts in search of context. Their knowledge is lost for a lack of narrative. And don’t get Susan started on design that fails to reveal any signs of life. That makes her really cranky.

Here’s my take. Friends tell friends about things that are insanely silly and monumentally important. Friends tell friends about things that are real and relatable that can readily be re-told.

So if you’re exploring ideas on how to build a brand, attract an audience, or make more money, just ask yourself, ‘would anybody tell a friend about this?’ If the answer is no, you may be suffering from absentee personality syndrome. But don’t worry, if you’re a person (even the non-perky kind) personality can be recovered and brought to life. And life is what friends are telling friends all about.

Jan