An actor looks for events in the scene he/she is playing. Events are changes. Could be a revelation of knowledge, a burst of anger because of careless words, or a number of other elements.

I was directing two actresses this week in a training exercise. The scene began with one sitting on the couch for a moment before the second actress enters the room. The first actress sat fairly still until several moments after the other (playing her sister) had entered the room. I asked them to run the scene again. This time I asked the first actress to change her body position as soon as she realizes her sister is in the room. It worked much better. Her reaction doesn’t just add to the believability of the scene, it draws the audience’s attention to the event… the change.

Do you look for events as you market? Do you pay attention to the changes that precipitate customers buying from you? If you sell office furniture then you should be looking at moves, expansions, remodeling projects, new business starts, etc. Do you get information from the city’s building permits department? Maybe you should partner with moving companies, telephone system vendors, electricians, building contractors, and/or banks to cooperatively market together. Do you draw your “audience’s” attention to these events? Do you notify them that they need you when they move, expand, remodel, or start a business? If you attach yourself to the event strongly enough, then the event becomes your lead generator.

Events are changes. As Seth Godin notes, we pay attention to changes. So, if you want people to pay attention to you, pay attention to events.

Here’s a great example of marketing mystery. The box below was sent to owners of ISPs.

Inside was a fortune cookie with the URL “whatsmyfortune.com” imprinted on its slip of paper.

No salesheet.

No business card.

No fancy graphics (yikes! designers).

How mysterious.

By the time you go to the website, you’re committed to find out the rest of the story.

Relationship

In his book Audition, Michael Shurtleff gives twelve guideposts for actors to follow in order to “get the part.” The first guidepost mentioned is relationship. Shurtleff stresses the importance of understanding your character’s relationship with the other characters in the scene. He encourages actors to ask themselves “feeling questions” about their emotional attitude toward other characters. Do you love him? Do you hate him? Do you resent him? How much? Do you want to help him? Do you want something from him? He emphasizes that these are the most important questions you can ask. They will allow you to function in the scene.

Do you ask these questions about your company/service/products? Do you understand your relationship with your target market? Do they love you? Do you love them? Shurtleff urges actors to “always say yes to the question of love.” Without love there is no attraction. Without attraction, what keeps the characters on the stage? Similarly, Saatchi & Saatchi promotes the idea of Lovemarks as relationship.

Lovemarks reach your heart as well as your mind, creating an intimate, emotional connection that you just can’t live without. Ever.

Take a brand away and people will find a replacement. Take a Lovemark away and people will protest its absence. Lovemarks are a relationship, not a mere transaction. You don’t just buy Lovemarks, you embrace them passionately. That’s why you never want to let go.

Do customers love your company/product/service? If you can’t answer “yes” to that question, then your brand is in trouble. What do they want from you? What do you want from them? (greater than their money, you’d probably want their undying loyalty) What is the attraction? Maybe love is there, but it’s not obvious. In a scene where love seems absent, Shurtleff recommends considering all the various distorted and perverse forms of love. As a parent scolds a child, their love may seem absent but it may be found in concern for the child’s safety. Find your customer’s love for your product, even if it is slightly misguided.

Relationship is also valuable in understanding your placement in the market. What is your relationship with competition? Higher quality, lower price, friendlier customer support? How does your target market feel about your competition? If they have a great relationship, that makes your job harder.

Many of these questions can be answered with a little bit of customer research. Create some simple spreadsheets with these questions. Ask your customers and fill in their answers. Pay attention to patterns, because that’s probably where the truth probably lies. Look at relationship issues and find ways to address those issues. Maybe you’ll need a counselor (marketing / branding consultant) to help with this. Or maybe it is common sense after you take the time to step back and evaluate.

These could be the most important questions you ever ask. The answers will help you to function (and hopefully thrive) in business.

Dustin Staiger