Jacobs Media’s digital guy, Tim Davis, is back from SXSW Interactive. Last week, he summarized the vibe from the conference. Today, a look at author & thought leader Guy Kawasaki’s presentation…
A non-thematic highlight at SXSW was seeing Guy Kawasaki speak about his new book Enchantment. It’s not tied into some of the overarching themes that I talked about last week, but it covers a lot of ground that has a broad appeal – and he’s a big fan of radio (public radio especially).
I took copious notes, and will share some highlights below. But this infographic from the Ogilvy Notes series does great justice to his presentation, and is a very cool depiction of the presentation.
The essence of Guy’s book and talk are that in 2011, you’ve got to “enchant” people in order to achieve optimal communication. Whether it’s your clients, your boss or your employees (he didn’t mention this, but one assumes it applies to spouses and children as well…).
It’s a 21st century spin on Dale Carnegie, but more broad-based and imaginative. Plus, Guy provides some great action steps for presenting your idea and your brand, some of which I’ll relate below:
Get Ready. Guy urges that you be prepared for whatever it is you’re creating – a product pitch, a new show, a mobile app, etc. He’s a proponent of D.I.C.E.E. or:
- Deep
- Intelligent
- Complete
- Empowering
- Elegant
Launch. This is where the rubber hits the road, and Guy says that you need to tell a story and focus on what motivates people to listen and engage. It’s not about the great miles per gallon performance that sells cars (or “30 minutes of nonstop rock”). It’s the narrative.
Overcome resistance. If you’ve ever launched something innovative, you know the first reaction you get – pushback. Guy cites the example of those white cords that accompanied iPods. At first, they looked odd but they ended up becoming the industry standard.
Endure. Veteran radio programmers know what this is about. And Guy cited the Grateful Dead as an example of enduring success. The sharing and swapping, the community it created, and the connection to fans are all reasons why the band is relevant today. In radio, it’s one thing to give away cash, but an enduring experience might mean making a listener the music director for a day, or seeing a hockey game with the airstaff, etc. Those are the prizes that Guy would call “enchanting” – the experiences that money can’t buy.
Present. This is an area that we all need to work on. Whether it’s a PowerPoint, a sales pitch, or an on-air promo, how can you sell your dream? Reasons aren’t good enough. Enchanting your audience is at the heart of creating interest in them wanting to be a part of your dream.
(For PowerPoints, by the way, Guy is a believer in the “10-20-30 Rule” – no more than 10 slides, less than 20 minutes long, and 30 point fonts or bigger).
Enchant “up.” Drop everything else when the boss asks (Fred is a big believer in this). Prototype fast and deliver bad news fast, too.
Enchant “down.” Provide MAP: That is, mastery, autonomy, purpose.
Empower action and suck it up when you have to. Don’t ask your employees to do things you’d never do. Think Mike Rowe on “Dirty Jobs.”
All in all, great ideas for motivating yourself and your team. Thanks to one of the sharpest minds in the business.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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