Hearts, Minds, and Market Share
Welcome to the Why to Wow newsletter, which is all about the Power of Differentiation in our world of AI and commoditization. I thank our power readers who find our messages worthwhile. It’s inspiring to see that thousands are reading and recommending Why to Wow! I ask you to continue sharing this newsletter with friends, family, and associates to help change our world for the better.
We received an outpouring of comments from readers on our last issue, including:
“I really enjoyed the story about Athena and her restaurant. Especially good point that the rival restaurant was left empty, likely has a demoralized staff, and I’m sure a huge electric bill! Very good stuff!”
– Brian Sciumbato, Kia USA
“Great story! Loved it.”
– Joe Pine, Author, Speaker, Management Advisor
Power readers, I have a special message for you: If you’d like a 35-minute private webinar on the Power of Differentiation, reach out here! It’s my way of saying thank you.
As I was writing my book, The Power of Differentiation, something cataclysmic happened. The book was nearing completion and the premise was sound: a company must discover (not create) its differentiation, then name it and promote it to customers. Simple. But then the unthinkable happened: the COVID-19 pandemic.
Between 2021 and 2022, nearly 100 million Americans walked off and quit their jobs. While some companies struggled under the weight of “The Great Resignation,” others benefited from incoming talent seeking new opportunities. It became clear to me that simply identifying our differentiation wasn’t enough to drive success. First, we needed to celebrate it with the most important people in the world, our employees, helping them find meaning and significance in what they do. The great Seth Godin puts it this way:
“We need to differentiate our brand and products to fight the competition, but we also need to differentiate so our people want to stay on the job and do their best.”
The Gesture. Win Hearts, Minds, and Market Share is the subtitle of my book; it’s a powerful mantra. As I prepared for a keynote speech, I stumbled upon a “gesture” that brought it to life. Try this: Touch your heart. Next, place both of your index fingers on your temples. And then, hold your hands in front of you and rub your fingers together to symbolize money. This is what we leaders must constantly be focused on.
Hearts. Employees—in fact, anyone who builds, designs, sells, distributes, services, or represents a brand—must feel that they are appreciated and doing something of value. They are skeptical, and that’s understandable—there are few business leaders (or leaders of anything for that matter) that are viewed positively today. It’s sad, but the person in charge is often labeled as evil, incompetent, self-absorbed, or worse. The modern leader must work every day to prove the opposite.
Minds. Our people, supplier partners, and customers must believe that what we are producing makes good sense: it’s smart, insightful, and, at the minimum, doesn’t make things worse for anyone. That brilliance must be clearly promoted so that the masses understand how unique it is and the genius behind it. Otherwise, it’s just a commodity.
Market Share. The first two parts of the gesture I previously described—hearts and minds—create the momentum needed to capture market share. Customers will recognize and sense when people genuinely care and believe in the brand they represent. It’s infectious. That passion will position our ideas and products in the strongest light and provide a personal, human connection to the brand.
Difference-Maker #1: It is a new day.
It can no longer be assumed that doing a good job as a leader guarantees employee loyalty. Our people need daily proof and reinforcement that we are different from the negative images they see in the media. The annual company celebration or occasional bonus isn’t enough—we must demonstrate our values every single day in every interaction.
Difference-Maker #2: Every move you make comes back to the gesture.
Are you looking at eliminating a unique product feature? Looking to increase sales by altering what your company stands for? Before proceeding with those thoughts, consider how it may affect hearts, minds, and market share.
There is no market share without uniting hearts and minds. And no “minds” will buy into your genius unless people know your heart is in the right place. Let’s do the gesture together:💖🧠💲
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