Reality Check

It’s amazing how we can forget what’s really important. No, I’m not going off on a sentimental tangent in regards to priorities in our lives. Instead, I want to focus on our priorities as business owners, ministry leaders, politicians, and anyone else that has been called to serve John Q. Public.

This past weekend I attended Agape Festival in Greenville, IL.  Great festival. It was awesome getting to hang out, see old friends, and not run around taking care of last minute details like I usually do at events. It gave me a chance to enjoy Skillet’s show Friday night as a fan, not as a promoter.

Being a fan presents a whole new perspective that can be lost to those that never leave catering or the promoter office. It’s good to remember what it’s like to wait in line for things, use public rest rooms (OK, I could have done without that) and talk with other fans about their experiences. It’s easy to lose the fact that we are responsible for presenting an unforgettable and potentially life changing event to our consumers amidst our concern for the logistics and numbers.

This concept transcends the live event industry.  I promise you it is not lost on me that my marketing firm, 5Stone Marketing, is responsible for the well being of our clients’ livelihoods. If we don’t succeed, these clients may need to lay off employees or go out of business. Keeping this in perspective allows my team and myself a sense of urgency that many companies and organizations simply don’t have.

Take the troubled auto-industry for instance. I drive a fairly generic Pontiac Grand-Am GT. When I needed new tires, they were almost impossible to find and cost me over $100 per tire, just for the cheapest option. Only one store in Central Illinois had the tire size that I needed. Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, and others turned me down. I bought Neal Tire’s only four tires that would fit my car. These “performance” tires that my car requires dramatically increase the after-market cost on a mid-level car that is fairly popular in the Midwest.  If the auto-industry had any sense, it would be concerned for its consumers’ after market costs. I mean, after that experience, I can’t say I’d be inclined to ever buy a Pontiac Grand-Am again. If I want “performance” tires and all sorts of other bells and whistles, I’ll buy a Camaro or a Corvette.

Of course, this requires being in touch with one’s demographic.  My friends that run Render, a college ministry in metro St. Louis, do a great job with this.  They over-obsess with how every detail connected to their ministry will affect their target demo-graphic, 18-30 year olds. This commitment to their “consumers” has enabled Render to experience consistent growth in light of not having a permanent building or some vast marketing budget.

Politicians have it rougher than we give them credit for. I mean, how hard must it be for them to stay in touch with their constituencies when they are surrounded by lobbyists for every imaginable cause all week? The next political star will be someone that actively engages with their constituency through technologies like Facebook and Twitter, but also through old-fashioned town hall meetings. Oh, and by the way, they will be doing these things when they are SERVING, not just running for re-election.

What if more businesses told their supporters how much they appreciate them? You know, besides the 10% off coupon in the mail. I mean, really just said thank you? It’s part of this amazing concept called gratitude that might just help turn around our economy and even the flavor of our lifestyles if enough leaders implemented it.

Jesus Christ was the perfect example for this. No matter how tired/worn out He was, the dude ALWAYS took time out for the people that needed him, none more so than His disciples. They were the ones with Him day in and day out, and were privileged to receive insights and attention from Christ that no one else did. Jesus took care of His own.

So let me leave you all with this challenge. Identify your base. Are you in touch with them? If not, what could you do to get in touch with them? If you don’t relate to them anymore, do you have someone on your team that does? The time is now to figure this out and adapt. Best of luck, and thanks for reading.

I’m leaving you all with this really cool cover The Fray did of Kanye West’s “Heartless.”

It’s my way of saying thanks for reading/following my blog. Hope you enjoy it!