Hang Upside Down. Get Creative. Do Whatever It Takes

by Jared Smith

Ideas.  Simple ideas have reshaped our landscape, changed the way we live, and revolutionized the way we work.  Historically, a few individuals and their ideas have been responsible for incredible, lasting change.  For example, in the early 1500’s Leonardo da Vinci created detailed plans for the first helicopter, water powered alarm clock, submarine, parachute, car, and bicycle, not to mention revolutionary anatomical drawings of the human body, the Last Supper, the Mona Lisa, and advances in mathematics that baffle today’s brightest mathematicians.  In addition to these amazing achievements, Leonardo also created a canal system for diverting water still in use today.  Did you know that the world has literally shifted on its axis, as a direct result of human’s ability to divert water systems?

Other than a personal fascination with Leonardo, what does any of this have to do with business and marketing?  I would suggest – everything.

First - ideas in business shape the success of that business.  History has seen countless occasions when a single idea revolutionized an industry – and ruined seemingly indestructible companies.  Do you know how many small credit banks went under when the Bank of America introduced a little card called Visa?   Today over 1 billion people have a Visa card in their wallet – performing $2 trillion US in transactions every year.

Second – selling is about perception – and perception is everything.  If your clients suddenly perceived your service differently and stopped working with you – would it affect your business?  Probably… What if a competitor is thinking right now about a revolutionary way to service your best clients?  Are you thinking?

Leonardo da Vinci attributed the majority of his success to one simple quality – his burning desire to question everything, think, and be different.   There are so many organizations that look the same, act the same and do business the same.  They all say the same things (i.e. we’ve been around a long time, we provide excellent service, our customers come first, we have great prices, blah, blah, blah.)

So here’s the exercise – spend three hours a week thinking about your business.  Use your imagination.  Put your mind into it.  Draw mind maps.  Get away for a while.  Read children’s’ books.  Laugh.  Get crazy.  Talk to people.  Go for a walk.  Question everything.  Hang upside down.  Get creative.  Do whatever it takes.

And remember – in 1507 – they told Leonardo that his helicopter diagram was ridiculous…

No time to think? - Contact Incite Solutions to talk to us about the Imagination component of our successful Marketing Manager Program.