Have you noticed…
there’s an election going on? Yes sir. The entire North American continent is in the grips of election fever – whether we want to be or not!
I live in the Lac Saint Louis riding in Quebec, one of Montreal’s many Liberal strongholds and I’ll confess right up front. I’m a Liberal and have usually voted that way in the past – unless there has been a really good reason not to.
I moved into this riding in 1998 and as each election has come and gone, I have always been fascinated by the lack of effort to get – or keep – my vote. No pamphlets. No phone calls. And certainly no one knocking on my door to provide me with an opportunity to ask any questions or to share any thoughts. Each election I’m a little put out by the fact that the party and my MP are taking my vote for granted. But in spite of that nagging feeling, I continue to give them my support.
And why shouldn’t I? The MP in question, Frank Scarpaleggia, is doing a great job in Ottawa. So just how important is it that neither he nor the party has ever once, in the last ten years, reached out to me personally to thank me for my support or more importantly, to see if there is anything that they can do to continue to be worthy of it?
Well, the Liberal majority has been steadily shrinking in Lac Saint Louis over the last 10 years. Nothing major yet – just a slow but steady leak of support. And as one astute blogger remarked recently, what will shake up Lac St. Louis will not necessarily be a reason to vote Liberal, but a reason not to vote Liberal.
And when that day comes – because it will come -will the Liberal party have done what they needed to do to stay worthy of my support?
Innovation Insight #48
You see, being worthy of something at some point in time does not relieve us of the responsibility of staying worthy of it over the long run.
Staying worthy is the difference between getting a client’s business and keeping that business.
Staying worthy is the difference between getting a great employee to join your team and keeping that great employee on your team.
Staying worthy is the difference between getting your market’s attention and keeping your market’s attention.
Do you have a slow leak in your support?
How many votes can you afford to lose?
What will happen when your customers or your employees come face to face with a reason not to stay and you realize that you have forgotten to provide them with a regular reason for why they should stay?
This week Why Not! find an innovative way to ask your market – internal or external – what you can do to stay worthy of their loyalty and support? Then, apply your Imagination to the Information to create a series of Innovative Staying Worthy Strategies that are Surprising, Strategic, Seductive and Sustainable.
Imagine the Possibilities!
-Toni Newman
PS I’ll let you know what happens in Saint Louis!
Quote of the Week
Hubert H. Humphrey
What do you need to be more innovative about to ensure that you stay worthy of the right to be taken seriously?
T!
Inspiration of the Week
Innovation Games by Luke Hohmann
A great book with some great ideas on how to find out more about your customers needs.
Available at
Innovation Games at Amazon
Turning Ideas into Results!
Please feel free to contact me at toni@toninewman.com
with any stories about how Innovation Insights has helped you to turn ideas into results.
