Wake up, it's time for science, metaphors, drag queens and women in tech.
Good morning!
Like a good marketer, I'm testing some new send times for this little old newsletter.
This is my I'm-about-to-get-on-a-6:30AM-flight-to-a-tropical-island test. Very scientific.
I hope you've had some coffee.
In this week's edition #18 of the World's Best Newsletter:
1. A reminder: nobody cares what you do, they care why you do it.
2. WashPo's new pub for millennial women
3. Google got it wrong
4. The power of a metaphor in high-stakes selling
5. The realest real talk about women in business
Quote of the Week
1. A reminder: nobody cares what you do, they care why you do it.
I've been working with quite a few clients lately to hone their messaging, reminding me a truth about the world that's kind of timeless. It's recapped well in this post.
Nobody cares what you do, they care why you do it.
Well, I lied. I'm sure your mom cares what you do. That's why you call her when you find a brand of skinny Oreos you're really excited about (you know who you are.)
But --- the rest of the world doesn't. Especially when you're selling them something. Eventually, they do. But at the start of it, before they're a lead, before you're "nurturing" them, before you're actively part of their shortlist... they're looking for a reason to care.
A lot of startups fall into this trap -- jumping right into the "here's what we build!!!!!!" instead of "here's WHY we exist!" Plenty of tech-forward companies fall into the same trap. It's really a marketer's job to push back, and find a way to explain... why exactly are we here again?
2. WashPo's new pub for millennial women
"The Washington Post today announces The Lily, an experimental, visually-driven product designed for millennial women that will boldly reimagine The Post’s award-winning journalism for distributed platforms."
Here's an interesting move by a newspaper (those paper things you use to start fires and wrap fragile things in when you pack a box to move). They're not in denial about new media, they're embracing it, and seeking to serve a specific audience (millennial women) on the channels this audience prefers to consume information. Hey, brands, take note.
“The Lily gives us an opportunity to spotlight that work in a new way, packaging it for women who are interested in that type of content and sharing it on platforms that help foster community.” - Amy King, editor of The Lily at The Washington Post.
My favorite part: the name “The Lily” is a nod to the first newspaper for and run by women which was established in 1849. I'm excited to see what this looks like, and how it galvanizes a community of readers.
3. Google got it wrong
Another WashPo feature "Google got it wrong. The open-office trend is destroying the workplace" made it into this week's roundup. I was shocked that 70% of offices now have no or low partitions.
"Employers are getting a false sense of improved productivity. A 2013 study found that many workers in open offices are frustrated by distractions that lead to poorer work performance."
Why did we fall into this trap of open office environments? Oh, to improve communication between coworkers? That's funny. Because "those with private offices were least likely to identify their ability to communicate with colleagues as an issue."
Where do you sit on this topic? (Literally. In a cubicle? Noise cancelling headphone nirvana?)
I personally love that my only office mate is a succulent that I have yet to feel murderous rage towards (unlike some of my previous coworkers in open office settings. I'm a delightful colleague, I promise.)
4. The power of a metaphor in high-stakes selling
Oh, the power of a good metaphor. Every startup I've ever worked with has countlessly cycled through potential metaphors to help explain what we did to investors, prospects, anyone who would listen. (Zombies, fuel, engines, snacks...)
The best salespeople I've worked with understand that metaphors are a POWERFUL way of communicating complex ideas with simplicity. And the good ones are pure poetry.
For your metaphorical enjoyment (well, your literal enjoyment) please read the best ever metaphors taken from high school English papers. Yes. They're fantastic.
In her LinkedIn article, consultant Anne Miller describes the power of a metaphor in high stakes selling.
"As the stakes get higher and the challenges get bigger, your need for a strong metaphor becomes greater."
She believes great metaphors are in each of us, not only the literately inclined. I'd love to see more of us integrate them into our writing. Less jargon, more metaphors.
5. The realest real talk about women in business
I freaking love Jess Iandiorio. She is another very talented product marketer I am fortunate to know. Did you catch last week's post about what GREAT product marketers do inspired by my friend Hally Pinaud?
Anyway, Jess is back in BostInno with another post, "6 Wishes for Women in Tech in 2017."
WARNING: Like the rest of her writing, you will likely be nodding vehemently as you read, snap your fingers, and proclaim "yaaas queen" as you appropriate drag culture in a business setting.
"Think your CEO got to where he did by building consensus on his org chart? F*ck no."
Quote of the Week
Since I was a wee little girl breaking rules and questioning everything, my go-to mantra has been: "Accept no one's definition of your life. Define yourself." Hilariously the internet attributes this quote to both Robert Frost and Harvey Fierstein, LOL.
The more recent quote of this week struck with me for obvious reasons:
"Be 'realistic' is a statement that holds so many people back. Create your own reality."
- 99 life lessons learned in 2016 by crazy biker dude Josh Quigley
Mmhhhm.
Best,
Katie
PS: If you're like 99% of my network attending a march, demonstration, or protest this weekend, I send you solidarity, safety, and thanks. If I were there, I would hold a sign asking our new president for a $1.4B check to cover the cost of birth control women will now have to pay with a repeal. I'm sure he could sell a gold toilet or two to help us out.
Read the full article in Forbes, and imagine, for a minute, if women were the majority in government making these decisions.
Oh what a world it would be.