Sara Blakely, MasterClass on Entrepreneurism
How do people view our program? What packaging does our program come in?
Packaging is part of our brand. In high school, we wore a sport coat and tie on game days. It reminded us and schoolmates that something extraordinary was going on.
Eyecatching. Even better, finances permitting, would be uniformity, like black pants, white shirt, school blazer and ties.
Attractive. I’m old school. Have you been to a restaurant and the server has piercings through their face? That doesn’t help my appetite. It doesn’t make them less of a person in character or intelligence. It’s my problem.
Transparent. Do you want your customer to see the product or want mystery. Thomas Keller’s “French Laundry Cookbook” is cloaked in plastic. The buyer has to believe that Keller’s product is worthy. You buy it or not without a preview. Every vendor decides what’s right for her product.
Clear. Our people and our followers must know who we are and what we stand for. “This is who we are and that is who we are not.” If we sell a message of character and class and play gorilla ball, then we should lose fans. If we prioritize academics and players underachieve, we should lose followers. If a blind person came to practice, they should hear the enthusiasm. If a deaf person comes, they should see it.
Value. Team members should get value from participate, add value to each other, and feel valued by coaches/leadership. Investment, communication, and feedback demand mutual participation. Followers deserve our best focus, energy, and effort...every day.
Set high standards and live them.
Lagniappe: from Basketball Immersion, SLOBs that clean up.
