If Martin Lindstrom says something, I remember it.  Why?  Because I trust him.  In this Fast Company article last month, he explains how that happens.

His theory:  our brains store information by how much we trust the source.  We link information to the emotional relationship we have with the community, the person, the media outlet where we found the information.  Think about it:  this happens all the time in politics.  How many ideas were dismissed because of the news outlet they showed up in?  Or because of the person who had the idea?

Perhaps this is a new standard we should apply to our content marketing efforts.  Key question:  do our ideas show up in high-trust places?  Are there other places our best clients trust even more?  Sounds like the old “throw content on the wall and see what sticks” doesn’t work anymore.  Lindstrom  has other ideas in this article as well.  Click here to learn more.

Thanks to Joseph Pine and James Gilmore, we all know about the “experience economy”, the idea that the customer experience sometimes trumps the product itself.  (Exhibit A:  Starbucks.)  The problem:  other than great service, how do we experts create a branded experience?  We don’t have stores to create the visual experience.  Most of our work is done virtually or at the client’s office.

I think this Fast Company article has some ideas we can build on.  Yes, the authors are referring to retail and electronics, but let’s apply some of the ideas to our situation.  My favorite:  idea #6, dealing with “trade-offs”.  It’s one thing to have a clear point of view in our content marketing.  It’s quite another to take a stand on sales conversations and client delivery.

The trade-offs can be delicate.  I’ll use myself as an example.  I believe that implementation is critical to getting value from my work.  If a client doesn’t implement my findings, they won’t get the value.  Period.  So I watch how a potential client interacts during the sales process.  Do they react quickly when we follow-up on their initial inquiry?  Do they get me information when they say they will?  Do they keep the follow-up appointments they agreed to?  If not, I drop the prospect from our follow-up list.  Why?  Because I only work with those folks who I believe can make the necessary changes.  If they are sloppy during the sales process, they will be sloppy in implementation.  (And, no, I don’t tell folks they are sloppy.  I just don’t take the assignment.)

Is this harsh?  Maybe.  But the reality is that by taking a stand, I design an experience — starting with the initial inquiry — that makes an interesting trade-off.  I would rather spend the time talking to ten serious potentials, than field 100 inquiries from the non-qualified.  My process reflects that trade-off.  The result:  less time on sales, more time working with fabulous clients.

What trade-offs are you willing to make?