Chief Contrarian

I was reminded of the Candle Problem when blogging on Marshmallow Selling recently. As often happens, the concept appeared to me from another source soon after. In Management Today, I read an insightful headline;

Don’t you believe it: ‘Financial incentives boost performance’
Social scientists have known that this isn’t the case for decades, but have failed to get the message across to business. Here is the story.

For those who also already know “the story”, I was more tickled by the self-description of the author; chief contrarian. So I checked out his blog; Don’t you believe it.

I’m pleased to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my breaktime spent scrolling his musings. For the salesperson who aspires to chief execship, there’s quite a bit to mull upon. By way of example, he highlights ‘high concept”;

One sentence that says everything you need to know about your idea.
Alien, for example, was allegedly pitched as “Jaws in Space.”

With a challenge for you to find your own version. As an aside, this is essential for any new product launch. Also useful in this regard is the tip to get your own ‘personal brand’ so you can avoid being “pretty obscure“. Fascinating to discover that Chinese warlords only became famous if they had a soundbite or image associated with them.