Seth Godin is a best selling author and marketing guru. His new book, “Linchpin” brings so many insights into how the world has changed. Many people call him an agent of change. I refer to him as a futurist. His book outlines so many of the resolutions to the challenges that bog down many businesses.
Seth starts with mentioning a New World of Work. Instead of just having two teams of labor and management, he adds a third, the linchpins. Seth says linchpins, “own their own means of production, who can make a difference, lead us, and connect us.” And I believe that all successful photo studios have one thing in common, they connect with their customers. As an entrepreneur, we can choose to be the cog in the factory or we can map out new paths with opportunity to create value.
Seth writes that a linchpin is “someone who can invent, connect, create, and make things happen.” Linchpins are artists. Are you indispensable? Linchpins are indispensable, more than ever they are essential to your business.
Seth explains, “Our economy has reached a logical conclusion. The race to make average stuff for average people in huge quantities is almost over. We’re hitting an asymptote, a natural ceiling for how cheaply and how fast we can deliver uninspired work. Becoming more average, more quick, and more cheap is not as productive as it used to be.” He continues to explain that shipping something like an idea use to take a month via boat, a couple days by plane, to shipping Fed-EX overnite, to a few minutes over a fax, to inside a minute by e-mail to a split second via Twitter. Where do we go from here? Seth wonders, “Will it arrive yesterday?”
Well, what’s left? Seth suggests that it’s the art; the creation, the connection and making things happen which defines the linchpin. What’s left and worth paying for is humanity and generosity. It’s about the emotional work that every linchpin volunteers that makes a difference. I think many of us know this. It’s not the 8”x10” piece of plastic that we offer to our client, is it? The Kodak commercial that keeps resurfacing on social media, thanks to YouTube, doesn’t mention any of Kodak's products or substance. The video is so powerful because it coerces everyone to connect emotionally. It whispers, “keep me, protect me, share me and I will live forever.” The pictures are talking. Can you hear them? What's left If you are offering a piece of plastic? If you fail to connect, your customer will value it as a piece of plastic.
There are so many more concepts that Seth has revealed in this book. It has taken him over 10 years to write it. He says he started and stopped writing the book a dozen times. It’s a relatively short book, a couple hundred pages. Please do me a favor, once you’re done reading it, please read it again. And let me know what you think. I guarantee the book will make a difference, it's remarkable. After all, do your clients think you’re indispensable?
posted @ Wednesday, January 27, 2010 11:42 PM