Streaming performances are missing something crucial: the crowd. We’re going to need that. So today, I’m releasing a spec for the product we need: Virtual Stadium. If you build it, we will use it. Any good performer — musician, athlete, or public speaker — knows the crowd is an essential part of the performance. Did…
Your people are sad. They’re frustrated. They’re having trouble getting stuff done. Now is the time to invest in their skills — not just to make them smarter, but to make them feel more confident in a moment filled with fear. Workshops in lockdown Let me tell you about an amazing experience I’ve been privileged…
President Trump actually suggested injecting disinfectant to cure coronavirus. On its face, this statement is so incendiary and dangerous that it demands dissection. What did he actually say, in what context, and what did he mean? The president says many batshit things which, on closer examination, appear to be just rambling of some kind which,…
We keep getting emails and pitches from everyone we’ve ever done business with. And they all start the same way . . . “In these unprecedented times . . . “ “I hope you are well . . . “ We can do better. I can do better. So, in the interests of variety, I’m…
The Trump Administration published a set of guidelines for restarting economic activity after the global pandemic. They’re so squishy that they’re meaningless. This set of guidelines follows a dizzying set of stances from the President, starting with Trump’s statement Tuesday that he had the absolute authority to order states to “reopen.” That flew in the…
Are you helping your customers right now, or screwing them? Like so many other companies, Navient, a student loan servicer, sent a vacuous, unhelpful email about the COVID-19 pandemic. You could easily ignore it, or just give it a cursory read. But because of changes passed by Congress, many borrowers don’t have to pay anything…
Coronavirus has frozen your business in place. Nobody’s buying. Nobody’s even able to buy. What should you do? Be generous. Give stuff away to your customers. It’s simple. The only real asset you still have is customer relationships. You also have workers — unless you’ve let them go — and those workers are used to…
Have you been good to your customers? They will stand by you now. Have you been mean? Then don’t be surprised when they desert you in your time of need. That’s the schmuck deficit. Payback is a bitch. Many of the companies, large and small, that I deal with regularly are hurting right now. I’m…
It’s hard to think long-term right now, with everything changing rapidly. But you don’t have to react — and communicate — as if your time horizon is measured in hours. Think a few weeks ahead, and your messaging will look a lot smarter. I thought of this because of the string of messages I got…