Note: This is a clip from a nostalgic walk down memory lane. This “post” was one of the first “articles” on my very first website. I reserved the domain name in 1994 for something like $375 and renewed it the following year for $250. In 1997, I had to let some brilliant, short domain names go because I just couldn’t afford to renew them for the incredibly expensive price of $150 each. I’m glad things have changed! But, I sure do wish I had some of those domains back. Encourage.com would be worth building today.
Next time you get stuck developing a marketing place or writing an ad for your product, take a look at these idea stimulators to help get you going again…
Exaggerate
Take your product or idea to the extreme. For example, if you manufacture gas fireplace logs, what would you do if the supply of natural gas dried up? What would you do if the government required every home to heat only with natural gas? What would you do if your largest customer suddenly became your fiercest competitor?
It’s important to take these concepts and run with them till breaking point. Many companies, from tiny start-ups to larger companies, rely on a variety of information to help them ascertain how resistant to extreme changes in the commercial landscape they are. The data can come from anywhere – from your personal accounts and statements to information summaries at lovemoney.com as long as you’re willing to take the information and twist it into the worst possible scenario. It’s a scary thought, but sometimes these things do happen, and the more prepared for it you are, the easier the future is to think about.
Be Crazy
Make fun of your product or idea. What’s crazy about it? How would someone from a third world nation view your product? What’s silly about your product? What doesn’t make any sense at all? Being less than serious about your product will help you see it from a difference perspective. Creative genius Roger von Oech says, “There’s a close relationship between the ‘aha’ of discovery with the ‘haha’ of humor.” Being wacky tends to stimulate your creative juices.
Get Lots of Ideas
Linus Pauling, two-time Nobel Prize winner, gives a clue to his success, “The best way to get a good idea is to get a lot of ideas.” For the corollary of this advice, philosopher Émile Chartier adds, “Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one you have.” Get out a pad of paper and write down all the characteristics of your product and of those who buy it. Who else should buy it? Why? Who should not buy it? Why? Are you sure?
Keep writing down your answers and ideas without judging the merits of any. After 30 minutes, you should have enough raw material to being piecing together a sales story that would compel your prospects to buy from you. You may also discover a new prospect group you never knew existed. Or, you may find that with a little “tweaking” of your product or idea, you can make it a perfect solution for a new group of prospects.
Imagine How Others Would Do It
Think of someone you admire and respect (maybe a teacher, a successful friend, your grandfather, or maybe a historical figure. How do you think they would attack your problem? Imagine they were in charge of your project. What is the first thing (or last thing) they would do? What would their goal or top priority be?
Thinking about how someone else would approach your situation will help you escape your own biases.
Set a Deadline
When you’re really up against a creative roadblock, find a good reason to set a deadline for your project. A tight deadline can help you set aside what would otherwise be very good excuses for not getting the project done. A deadline will help you “get with it.”
Give It a New Name
If an architect looks at an opening between two rooms and thinks “door,” that’s what he’ll design. Creativity begins when the architect sees something outside the bounds of the ordinary. If he sees “passageway,” he may design something freshly different like a courtyard or maybe a hallway.
Names have their own built-in assumptions. Change the name and you change the fundamental assumptions. The new assumptions will lead you creatively down a different path.
Solve the Right Problem
Marketing matches solutions to problems. To create an ad that works, you have to craft a message that addresses a problem your prospect knows he has. Don’t assume you’re automatically solving the RIGHT problem. Ask yourself again, “What problems do I solve for my customers?” Is there another problem you may be overlooking?
“Creative thinking may simply mean the realization that there’s no particular virtue in doing things the way they have always been done.” (Rudolph Flesch, educator)
