Learn how to display information visually

Get better at communication. 

The right photo, short video, chart, or animation can persuade clearly and quickly.

What is important for you to show others?

Appeal to incentives

“If you are to persuade, appeal to incentives, not reason” – Ben Franklin

Incentive – it feels good now

Reason – It’s good for you

Incentive – it looks good to others

Reason – it is good for the long term

Incentive – you’ll get money

Reason – you’ll save money

Incentive – you get a free __________

Reason – it makes more sense

Incentive – it doesn’t cost you anything now

Reason – it costs less in the long term

Incentive – you’ll be more popular

Reason – you’ll make more sense

“Helping someone get what they want is easier than changing what they want.” – Seth Godin

What are you appealing to with your customers?  Can you make an alternate offer to appeal to incentives?

How valuable is your offer?

The concept of economic value is easy – if people want it, it has value.

If they want it and can’t get it anywhere else, it has more value.

If they want it bad, and it’s hard to find, it has more value.

How bad to people want what you sell?

How easy it to find elsewhere?

How can you make it even more valuable?

Going big requires courage

Wealth does not come to those who are indecisive or timid.

It goes to those who, among a variety of other important factors, have made up their minds and are bold.

Courage is necessary.

Starting over is not the same as starting from scratch

Starting from scratch is hard.  You have no experience, no resources, little knowledge, and few connections.

Starting over is not the same.  You have experience and wisdom.  You know what to do and what not to do.

Starting over is easier and faster than starting from scratch.

Creation needs clarity

When you are confused, you can’t create something new.

All great things were created in someone’s mind first, then in reality.

Being unclear is a starting point if you have a desire to solve a problem.

But doing the thinking to get clear is necessary to actually solve it.

Clarity can often comes after a crisis.

Creation needs clarity.

Once you are clear, it’s much easier to move forward.

Creativity – putting pieces together

Creativity is most often putting known pieces together in a new way for you or your organization.

It’s almost never new things that no human has ever thought of.

The “pieces” you can put together are knowledge, experience, materials, tools, etc.

Therefore, the more pieces you have, the more creative you can be.

The more you learn, the more creative you can be.

The more experiences you have and things you try, the more creative you can be.  

The more resources you accumulate, tangible and intangible, the more you can put them together, and mix them with even newer ideas, to solve problems, create value, and make things better.

Direction over speed.

Speed over direction is how most people try to achieve. 

Run faster.  Work harder. 

But it is better to first make sure you are always going in the right direction.

Someone going in the right direction will make more progress than someone going twice as fast in the wrong direction, or one that is 45 degrees off.

This presumes you know where you want to go.  If you don’t know, then any direction will get you there.

Is your organization going in the right direction?

Is your leadership of that organization going in the right direction?

Creativity makes the world better

I have 33 patents.  Some are smaller innovations and some really changed the world in my industry and have benefitted countless people.

Most were welcomed by all, and some upset some people who were making money from the old way that my invention eliminated.

However, most of my novel ideas or creations are not patentable inventions, but had big benefits for customers, employees, or my businesses.

Anyone can come up with a new idea.  It may be how a room is arranged, changes in a daily schedule, or how to pack a certain product in a box.

For example, my crew uses a can of PVC primer and a can of PVC glue to do their work in the field. Rather than moving each one around as they work, someone had the idea to duct tape the two cans together. Now it’s one item with both primer and glue. Great idea.

In another example, for their daily installs they use one size nut driver and one size screw driver.  So they took the two tools and taped the handles together facing opposite directions.  Now it’s one tool with both functions and less to chase down and keep track of on their particular jobsite amongst broken concrete, dirt, and low lighting.

What creative ideas can you come up with to make things better, faster, easier, better quality, more fun, happier, lighter, more energy efficient, cleaner, more valuable, and work better?

Rebel

Creativity is an act of boldness or rebellion.

You are doing something differently from what has been done already.

You do not accept what is.

Make creativity your goal – not comfort.

Rebel.