Insights With Trent Munday

Today, my mailbox is empty. Let's face it, most days my mailbox is empty. Anything that appears in my mailbox is guaranteed to get my attention...coz there's nothing else in there. The same is true for many of us these days. So, if you're looking for real value for money in terms of getting people's attention, maybe it's time to try some form of direct mail campaign. Maybe create a simple mail order catalogue of the products OR services you sell? Or send special offers and promotions to your existing database? Lots of options. Why not try a few? #directmail #marketing #attention

A man marries a woman, hoping she will never change. A woman, marries a man, hoping she can change him...just a little bit. There's a lesson in that for any relationship or any arrangement, professional or personal. Any time you enter into any type of relationship there will probably be differing expectations as it relates to change. You might expect a bit of movement. They might expect none. So, if you can, before you start, lay out what each party's expectations are as it relates to change. It might just save you a little heartache further down the road. #change #expectations #lifelessons

Despite what some people would have you believe, most of us can't predict... which crypto will be the next Bitcoin ; which social media platform will be the next to pop ; what the future of driverless cars will actually look like. But what we can do is react and respond. Watch what's happening. Listen and learn. And stay nimble, agile and fluid enough to respond and react when you see something starting to take hold. By doing that, you will probably still be ahead of the curve because most will be waiting for a little more proof, a little more traction, for things to play out just a little bit more. #predictions #react #nimble  

We're all familiar with the idea that whenever you fall down, you've got to pick yourself back up. But what about this idea from famed Canadian-American physician and medical researcher Oswald Theodore Avery... When you're down there, pick something up. It's sometimes easy to lose touch when we're 'up there'. It's easy to forget the lessons that you learned that helped you ascend. So, if you do fall, take a bit of time while you're down there to look around, understand the issues, gather some more data and insights. All of that will help you as you rise again. And, if you want to tweak it just a little...while you're down there, pick someone else up too. Maybe they've also fallen and need a hand up. Or maybe they haven't yet been able to ascend and just need a little help. Great quote. Great thoughts. PS: Thanks to @markthespaman for sharing the Tweet. #inspirationalquotes #motivation #lifelessons

The modern day extension of Writer's Block is Creator's Block. It's a problem anyone who is committed to creating regular content is probably familiar with. A problem of not knowing what to say, what to do, what to write in that Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, etc. It's a problem...that doesn't exist. Just as Seth Godin and others have said about Writer's Block, you're not 'blocked' from writing. You're not 'blocked' from creating. You're problem is you're over-thinking it. Over-analysing it. Worried that what you create may not be as good as your last post. It's your Fear of Imperfection that is blocking you. But that is just your perception of imperfection. Let your audience decide. And if they agree...great. No problem. You'll get 'em next time. Don't worry about it. #contentcreator #imperfection #writersblock

Rules are a funny thing. We know we need them for society to function. We have some rules that we follow to the letter. Yet there are other rules we are ok to break. And we get furious when someone else breaks a rule. But we find a way to justify it when we break a rule. If you want people to follow your rules, you must ensure... 1. The rule makes sense. Do they understand why that rule is in place? 2. It must be easy to follow.  3. They must understand the costs of not following the rule, and the must be relatively significant. #rules #compliance #humanbehaviour

When we think about making a change, we tend to think of it in linear terms. We are currently HERE...and we'd like to go THERE. But of course the reality is that change almost never happens in a straight line. There are always twists and turns, diversions, ebbs and flows. We are often so focussed on the end goal that we fail to consider the reality of the non-linear path and the stresses it may present. So, before you set out on your path to change, take a moment to remember that the path of change is almost never linear. That way, at least you'll be better prepared to accept the diversions. #change #lifejourney #embracechange

Destiny requires action. So says @BrianRoemmele  It's a great perspective. Luck may well present you the opportunities. Serendipity may show you a path forward. However, you still need to take action. You still need to make your move. Que Sera Sera is great if you're Doris Day. But for the rest of us...we need to give destiny a bit of a nudge. #destiny #serendipity #takeaction

They say the most difficult part of change is first realising the need for it. Nonsense! Realising that you need to change is relatively easy. The hard bit is being able to handle all that comes with that change. Are you able to handle the growing pains that will invariably come with change? Is the organisation as a whole going to buy-in to that change? Will it be willing to accept the short-term negative financial impacts of the change - either from the costs of new people, systems, processes or from the revenue drops caused by inefficiencies as you learn the new ways? Change is almost never easy.  So, before you embark on change, ask yourself... Not do you need to change... Not are you ready for the change... But are you able to handle the change? #change #changemanagement #organisationalchange

The good old days of 'My way, or the highway!' are largely gone. Today, leaders are encouraged to seek input from multiple stakeholders. To make group decisions. Whilst there are obviously many benefits to that approach, you must also be aware that the group dynamic is seeking consensus. A decision we can all live with. But that decision is not necessarily or truth or even the right decision for the organisation. Sometimes, as a leader, maybe you just need to seek the truth on your own, without the group. NB: Thank to @naval for the inspiration. #decisionmaking #groupdynamics #truth

A great quote from the movie AD ASTRA. Great in that it has a few different angles or perspectives. It could be that, when looking at something amazingly beautiful, sometimes all we can see is what's missing. What's not there. Or, as I believe it was meant in the context of this movie, sometimes we want to believe in something so much, that even if we can't see it, we still believe it is there. We can only see what we want to see. Perspective is a fascinating thing. #perspective #moviequotes #viewpoint

Snails and Hermit Crabs both need bigger shells as they grow. For the Hermit Crab, he just gets out of his now-too-small shell and finds a bigger one to move into. For the Snail, he secretes a calcium carbonate from a gland that gets added to the edge of the current shell, thus growing the shell as it goes. Two creatures. Same problem. Two very different solutions. Now, I'm sure there's a great metaphor in there somewhere about 'life' or 'taking your shell with you as you grow' or something... but I'm not really interested in all that. I just think it's worth taking a moment to marvel at Mother Nature sometimes. #mothernature #metaphors #lifelessons

Listen to the very best storytellers and you'll realise that most important and most compelling parts of the story happen either immediately before or immediately after...a pause. They use the pause to great effect. Whether it's a pause for anticipation or a pause to allow the listener or reader time to comprehend and understand and appreciate the story, the pause is valuable. In today's world where we are so focussed on short stories and short attention spans, we can often forget the pause. Now we have your attention we want to speak quicker to make sure you don't lose interest. But even in the shortest Snap or Instagram or TikTok story, there is always time...for a pause. #storytelling #pause #attention

We often talk about how a brand is ultimately defined by its people. And not just the people inside the brand, but those outside too. By the fans of the brand. By its customers.  So it follows that if the fans of your brand are showing negative behaviours, especially when associating with your brand, (like when wearing your t-shirt) then your brand may come to be defined in that negative light. As the owner of the brand, you need to be attuned to all of your follower's behaviours - positive and negative - and be ready to counteract the negatives. #branding #fans #followers

It's what I refer to as the Transactional Contradiction. We're told to promote the Benefits of our product or service because people buy Benefits, not Features. Benefits surely appeal to our Rational self, right? And yet we're also told that buying decisions are predominantly Emotional, not Rational. So what to do? Once you understand the concept of Emotional Benefits, it all makes sense. Take a listen to this... #benefits #features #buyingdecisions

It seems like an obvious thing to say that you want people to buy your products and take them home. But the most important part is...'take them home'. Because once they take you home, you're in their lives. Your product and your brand becomes part of their routine. We are all creatures of habit and routines. So, once you are in...it's yours to lose! Think less about the actual revenue from the sale, and more in terms of how you can incentivise them to take your product home. Maybe a free gift on checkout? Maybe free delivery? It doesn't matter how your product gets into their home...as long as you get there. #retailstrategy #productstrategy #marketing

I believe we all fall into one of two general classifications... Gun Jumpers or Clear Smokers. The Gun Jumpers, as you would imagine, tend to jump the gun. They go off half-cocked a lot of the time. And as a result, they can often be forced to reset and recalibrate and U-turn. The Clear Smokers wait until after the gun has gone off. Until the smoke clears. Until the path forward has become a little more clear. Then the make their decision.  Understanding with type you are, and more importantly which type your colleagues and team mates are, helps to better inform your communication and relationships. So, which one are you? A Gun Jumper or a Clear Smoker? #personalitytypes #peoplemanagement #selfawareness

If you're planning to be a new entrant in an existing market, you will ultimately be competing against the market leader. That can be a daunting task. Especially if that market leader has a dominant share of the market. But, there's always room for more than one leader in a market. Think about it.  How many markets or industries can you think of where there is only one known brand? Not many. Sure, there can only be one #1...but there can always be more than one leader. #marketing #marketleader #marketopportunities  

We all have our Limits. Lines we will not cross. Risks we will not take. These Limits are formed as a result of the experiences we have had over the course of our life. But that's exactly the same way that we form our Prejudices too. Limits help us lead a safe, engaged and fulfilling life. Prejudices stop us from doing this. So just beware that your Limits are not a result of your Prejudices. In short... Limits are Good....Prejudices are Bad. #limits #prejudice #selfawareness

We tend to demonise the short news cycle. Today's lead story of a terrible tragedy will literally be yesterday's news by tomorrow. I appreciate that these tragedies, whatever the are and whomever they involve, deserve to be remembered. We should not forget. But, who says that today's tragedy is any more or less important than tomorrow's? I'm sure the people impacted by tomorrow's crisis believe it deserves our attention too. In that sense, the short news cycle actually helps ensure that tomorrow's stories can also be told...and that's a good thing. #breakingnews #newsheadlines #tomorrow