![jeff-payne-create Jeff Payne | Create What People Can't Live Without](https://jeffpayne.net/wp-content/uploads/jeff-payne-create.jpg)
Where would I be without my iPad mini, my smartphone, my MacBook Air, or my 27 inch iMac? I honestly can’t imagine it. Nor can I imagine not having Google, Amazon, iTunes, Audible, Basecamp, Facebook, WordPress, etc. These are all tools I use every day that make life easier and more enjoyable. Things I didn’t even realize I needed until someone had a vision and created them all within the last decade!
When you think of every service or product you use, it began from a problem that someone felt the need to solve or had a burning desire to fulfill.
When we understand the problem to be solved magic can happen. It’s why Camille can take ice cream and create a better version of it and tell a story. It’s why Southwest Airlines decided to create a kiosk to help customers avoid long lines by being able to print boarding passes or to request standby for an earlier flight. It’s why cars are now equipped with navigation systems.
It all began with an idea and a problem to be solved.
Walt Disney said, “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” What problems can you solve today that make it easier for your customer? What is keeping you continually moving forward, opening new doors, doing new things, creating new paths? The world is waiting for your idea. Go ahead and create it.
Following are some thoughts to consider:
-
Steve Jobs said great execution is what you need. Specifically, the process in which you start trying to build your great product or service and, through persistent iteration after iteration, learn how to actually make it great. That’s how you create great products, Jobs says. Not by having “great ideas.” By having a basic idea and then working your butt off through trial and error until the product finally evolves from okay to great. (Read an excerpt of Jobs’ interview here)
- "Sell dreams, not products." -- Steve Jobs
-
Are you indispensable? – Read Linchpin by Seth Godin
- What I want people to say about me: “I’m the guy to call when you’re tired of thinking status quo and small.”
- Why should you lead? And why now? – The answer is in the book Tribes by Seth Godin. A must-read!
- “Edison famously said that genius is 1 percent inspiration, 99 percent perspiration. Ideas for new businesses, solutions to the world’s problems, and artistic breakthroughs are common, but great execution is rare. As the world’s most productive innovators will tell you, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.” — Scott Belsky, Founder, and CEO of Behance
- Do a simple daily practice: “Write down a list of ideas. The ideas can be about anything.” — James Altucher
Resources and References
Scott Belsky, Making Ideas Happen – The Penguin Group, 2010
Seth Godin, Tribes – The Penguin Group (USA), 2008
Bernadette Jiwa, Make Your Idea Matter – The Story of Telling Press, 2012
James Altucher, Choose Yourself — Yes Life Media, LLC, May 21, 2014
Seth Godin, Linchpin – The Penguin Group (USA), 2010
Michael Port, Book Yourself Solid – John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2006
Cows Don’t Give Milk
A father used to say to his children when they were young: — When you all reach the age of […]
Read MoreHow To Respond When You Lose
I’m a Baylor Bears fan. I enjoy rooting for the Bears. It’s where my son, Ryan, graduated and how I […]
Read MorePeople Don’t Show Up Just Because You Launch
My adrenaline rush comes from working with early adopters. Early adopters are the audience where I find the most satisfaction […]
Read MoreDoes Experience Matter
Maybe. Probably. It Depends. Brett Fox, an entrepreneur I respect, was thinking about hiring a recent Ph.D. of Stanford University […]
Read MoreSelling Is An Obligation — Not A Choice
I was on a call with a new customer this week who was sharing some of his deepest business […]
Read MoreFor Such A Time As This
Many things are going on in this world that we can’t influence and are largely beyond our control. But there […]
Read MoreHow To Rank on Page 1 of Google in 2020
If you have a business, you want to be found. If you are serious about being found online, you will […]
Read MoreThe Big Opportunity of Sorting Data
The average person today receives more information on a daily basis than the average person received in a lifetime in […]
Read MoreThe Next Move
Greg McKeown wrote a classic book called Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. In it, he says: “You cannot overestimate […]
Read MoreThe Future Will Happen To Us or Because of Us
Brian Solis, author of one of my favorite books, X: The Experience When Business Meets Design tells this story about […]
Read MoreMarketing That Works
Marketing That Works Google recently introduced three consumer characteristics that their data reveals about consumer buying behaviors. They say buyers […]
Read MoreCourage Is Our First Value
Tristan Walker, CEO, and Founder of Walker & Company Brands talked about the role his upbringing added to the culture […]
Read MoreWhy Are Harley-Davidson Motorcycles So Expensive?
It’s the same reason that Ferrari and Lamborghini are expensive. It’s the same reason why Rolex watches are expensive. It’s […]
Read MoreYour Sustainable Business Advantage
There’s no bigger dental chain for dental implants than Clear Choice. No bookstore can sell more books than Amazon. No […]
Read MoreHow To Convert Leads Into Customers
The reality is most leads you receive are not ready to buy. It gets less encouraging when you consider these […]
Read MoreYou Must Not Fool Yourself
Michael Batnick, Director of Research at Ritholtz Wealth Management LLC said this about failure. “I suspect that people persist in […]
Read MoreThey Almost Got Frozen in 1996
MasterCard recently revised their two-circle logo. I like it. The redesign goal for Michael Bierut and Luke Hayman of Pentagram […]
Read MoreYou’re Building Your Reputation Every Day Online
I spend time every day looking at data. Data informs me what is working. And that’s great. But data alone […]
Read MoreEverything Is Earned
Winning is hard. A former Houston Cougar player was describing what it will be like to play for Tom Herman, […]
Read MoreWhen We Get It Right
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s business owners, we invest in marketing to sell more. We push sales and staff to remember the products and […]
Read MoreRelevance Is The New Remarkable
I used to get my haircut from Bob Ridge, a distinguished and much older man. Bob cut my hair for […]
Read MoreThe Key to Your Inbound Marketing Strategy
[dropcap]R[/dropcap]arely a week goes by that someone doesn’t compliment me on my smile. I graciously respond by smiling and thanking […]
Read MoreWhat Does Your Customer Want To Do Next?
I recently walked into one of my favorite department stores that I don’t frequent very often. I wanted to […]
Read MoreChallenging Our Narrative
For the time I’ve known Elaine she has lived out of her small two-door black Ford pickup in the parking […]
Read MoreGood Marketing is Like A Conversation
The reply from a “fan” to a recent email newsletter read: Jeff, Your newsletter is the best I have ever […]
Read MoreI Can’t Help Falling In Love With You
The best marketing helps us see better versions of ourselves. Under Armour uses a story that motivates us to be […]
Read MoreThe Journey of A Sale
“OH MY GOSH!!!!……… Out of the blue this guy is placing and sending a very expensive order to QFD today […]
Read MoreGet Excited About Your Plan
I remember several years ago being invited to meet with Fred Smith in his home. Fred was a celebrity, and […]
Read MoreWho Moved My Customer?
How our customers invest their time: Print 4% Radio 13% TV 36% Internet 22% Mobile 25% It is evident […]
Read MoreIt’s In The Story
When asked to describe our product or service and why we are different from our competitors it’s easy to shift […]
Read MoreInvent the Possible Paths
Photo courtesy of Jeff Payne: Photo of the Dr Pepper Museum located just a block from my son’s condo in Waco, […]
Read MoreEnter The Story
Tom whom I’ve never met, said, “Jeff, I like your website. I also enjoyed learning about you from your About […]
Read MoreYour Adventure Starts Here
A local dry cleaner spends thousands of dollars each month just to get attention and be found. I see his […]
Read MoreWhat Strategy Are You Working On?
Several years ago while attending student orientation at Baylor University with our son Ryan, we observed a bike rack with […]
Read MoreThe Best Marketing Shortcut
Photo courtesy of Jeff Payne: I can assure you there is no shortcut getting to the very inside tip of […]
Read MoreRemember When You Were Broke?
Remember when you were broke, what it took to gain traction in your business? The big leaps forward, doubt storms, […]
Read MoreWhat Your Customer Is Saying
“Our Age of Anxiety is . . . the result of trying to do today’s job with yesterday’s tools,” said […]
Read MoreShould Your Business Exist?
If your business is going to exist, you have to win customers. One thing the Internet has revealed is people […]
Read MoreTelling The Same Story
Everywhere you look you see different businesses telling the same story. It’s much easier to conform than to stand out. […]
Read MoreClicks, Readers, and Ads
Donald Trump is playing the media like a fiddle. The media likes Donald Trump. He says the unthinkable; he boasts […]
Read MoreSo They Chose You
The new lead arrived via the website on Saturday, January 16 at 10:15 AM. It was uncommon to receive a lead […]
Read MoreAttention, Please.
Seth Godin says, “When everyone has access, no one does. The people you want most to reach are likely to […]
Read MoreChoices Shape What Happens Next
George makes cakes. His day begins at 4:00 AM and ends at 6:00 PM, Monday through Saturday. Something he’s been […]
Read MoreMakes Us Feel Something
You are more likely to add bacon to your pizza if you order online. According to Shlomo Benartzi, a behavioral […]
Read MoreNot Everybody’s Waiting
More than likely you are being ignored. Many have a fantasy that others care, but they don’t. Most are thinking […]
Read MoreThat’s Great Marketing
“Hello, Mr. Payne! Are we getting the usual today, a number one, no butter, no pickles, medium fry, a large […]
Read MoreKilling the Sale
Today I received an email from a person I don’t know pretending to know me. They began with a small […]
Read MoreWhen You Were Hooked
The headline grabbed my attention. Netflix Knows the Exact Episode of a TV Show That Gets You Hooked In the […]
Read MoreFast and Easy
I’m on the verge of a sinus infection. Crusty, bloodshot, and watery eyes, slight cough, headache, congestion — you know […]
Read MoreSomething Worth Talking About
Advertising is what we do when there is nobody to see. In real life, when we meet with a friend […]
Read MoreI Shopped at Nordstrom
I shopped at Nordstrom this week. I went there to purchase a birthday gift for a friend. In my mind, […]
Read MorePermission is an Investment
I’m sure you provide great service. You probably have a product we all should buy. That new […]
Read MoreThe Secret Ingredient You May Be Missing
I say it’s secret. It isn’t secret. It’s simple. It’s strategic. It’s hard work. I hear it often. How do […]
Read MoreYou Must Build A List
When I first started working with online marketing over a decade ago, I realized pretty quick the value of […]
Read MoreHow Deep Is Your Love?
When I first started experimenting with online marketing over a decade ago, there was a lot less competition. It was […]
Read MoreThe Blah Front End of Your Marketing
It was Thursday morning. Mark, a sales and business executive who works with small to large businesses, was excited to […]
Read MoreJust Water
Are you in the market to purchase a bottle of water? Which brand will you choose? How will you decide? […]
Read MoreThe Time for Average is Over
If you haven’t noticed, transactional-level business is evaporating. We don’t need to settle for average when we have access to just […]
Read MoreWho Is Your Customer?
Who is your customer? Does he wake up in the morning and read his email over a cup of coffee? […]
Read MoreEverything was beautiful and nothing hurt
Wliquam magna leo, suscipit eget dictum eget, dapibus id leo. Fusce eu tortor vel urna aliquam egestas sed euismod tortor. […]
Read MoreAfter all, tomorrow is another day
Wliquam magna leo, suscipit eget dictum eget, dapibus id leo. Fusce eu tortor vel urna aliquam egestas sed euismod tortor. […]
Read MoreThe Real Trick to Marketing
The real trick to marketing is to reinvent the norm. We all recognize normal — it’s boring, expected, mundane, average, […]
Read MoreWhat is Marketing?
The sign on top of the counter read, “Buy by the slice.” I glanced over to the lady with a […]
Read MoreOne Word That Changes Everything
Purpose. The one word that changes everything. It either comforts or confronts. Comforts It comforts when I’m weary, confused, uncertain, […]
Read MoreNow Serving: The Few
“The Few. The Proud. The Marines.” is the Marine Corps’ advertising slogan. It won a place on Madison Avenue’s […]
Read MoreWhat is your marketing doing?
Which is best for your business — delivering the real thing or just getting the order or your foot in […]
Read MoreClick Here
We measure open and clicks, Facebook likes, Twitter followers, Google pluses, and number of subscribers. It’s easy to advocate for […]
Read MoreAbout Your Advantages
Every Whataburger sells the same burgers and fries. What can a Whataburger franchise do that their competitors down the road […]
Read MoreDescribing Your Brand
You will not find an online application for this offering. You will not know the exact benefits you’ll get. But […]
Read MoreWhat You Get — Is It Worth It?
It’s true we have easy access to all the information we want to help us with solving a problem or […]
Read MoreWhy Do I Like You?
It is surprisingly easy to forget sometimes the basic fact that people are the most important inspiration for everything we […]
Read MoreGive People What They Want
As a thought experiment, ask yourself, “How does my brand bring new perspective and life into being for other people?” […]
Read MoreHow do you make me feel?
We all face the same problem. Our email is just one among many from people who are trying to cut through […]
Read MoreIt’s Often Not The First Touchpoint
Earlier this month I received an email that captured my attention. The email contained an inviting image of a book […]
Read MoreStart By Teaching Someone
Derek Sivers makes a great point in his book Anything You Want: Start by teaching someone something this week. That’s […]
Read MoreA Marketing Plan Is Not Enough
In business, we usually begin with a plan. A plan provides the details to our idea. It brings together the […]
Read MoreHow Could I Ask for More
My wife reminded me of this song this evening. I just had to listen to it. I remember when I […]
Read MoreAttention Is Either Earned or Paid For
The value of attention is decreasing day by day. We have marketing channels galore that contribute to fleeting attention. There […]
Read MoreWe Are There for The Story
I remember coming home from college during the summers, and my dad would always take me to get a […]
Read MoreWho Moved My Customers?
Does anyone read the newspaper anymore? I was waiting for my lunch appointment in the lobby of an Austin […]
Read MoreSuccess Is How Your Customers Feel
[featured-image link_single=”null” single_newwindow=”false” alt=”Jeff Payne | Card from Castlerock Pet Hospital”] Success is not just an achievement of some data […]
Read MoreMarketing Is A Story
It is early on a Saturday morning and a line is already forming at an ordinary looking run-of-the-mill restaurant. In […]
Read MoreDon’t Give People Reasons to Choose You
When you enter an IKEA store you find the entire store dedicated to helping you see the possibilities. The store […]
Read MoreBe A Lovecat
Today business and sales professionals are trying desperately to understand how to maintain their value as professionals in an increasingly […]
Read MoreFacts Are Not Enough
Let’s face it, we’re all consumers. We all buy. We’re scanning, swiping, clicking, liking, and sometimes sharing and tweeting. We […]
Read MoreThis Is What You Look Like
It’s a 102 degrees in Austin right now and very humid! On days like this, which are common in Texas, […]
Read MoreAbandoning Things We Choose
In his book, Return on Influence, Mark Schaefer shares an interesting fact. He says most people abandon a business book after […]
Read MoreCreate What People Can’t Live Without
Where would I be without my iPad mini, my smartphone, my MacBook Air, or my 27 inch iMac? I honestly […]
Read MoreGetting Your Customers to Do What They Want to Do
What do people internalize when they interact with you? Recently I had the opportunity to go on a sales call […]
Read MoreBuilt to be Loved
My favorite restaurant in Dallas is Al Biernat’s. There’s something special about that place. Linda our server, always makes sure we are taken […]
Read MoreHow to Spread Your Idea
So how do you make an impact with an idea you have and make it spread? Start! Build a list (name and email). […]
Read MoreEngineer the Outcome
In his book, Start With Why, Simon Sinek tells a story of a group of American car executives who went […]
Read MoreHow We Expect Content Marketing to Work
Let’s face it, many invest a lot of time, money, and talent to produce, publish, and distribute content marketing. Therefore it […]
Read MoreWe Are All in Sales
I am seated in a plush red lounge chair in a cramped but cozy hip Austin coffee and wine bar […]
Read MoreHow to Monetize Your Content Marketing Message
More Right or Less Right The ultimate goal of your marketing is – and always has been – to grow your business. Jay Baer, […]
Read MoreMake Your Sales Process More Useful
Today buyers have become so adept at doing the initial purchase research that they no longer need or have the […]
Read MoreThe World is full of lessons
Wliquam magna leo, suscipit eget dictum eget, dapibus id leo. Fusce eu tortor vel urna aliquam egestas sed euismod tortor. […]
Read More