Everybody Blow Your Trumpet! 3

We are still on the trumpet series and the last but one question is what I am addressing today viz
Is anybody listening: Sure. Somebody is listening. There is the fable about a local man who claimed to have heard a frog croaking in Oke Arin Market in Lagos. When he was told that it was impossible to hear such a sound the midst of the hustle and bustle of the noisy market, he proceeded to prove them wrong by dropping a coin. It was observed that everyone around quickly checked their pockets at the drop of the coin. The busy people who could not hear the croak of the frog could hear the twang of a coin on tar. Lesson: People hear what they listen for.

Back to trumpets and business. I posit that even when we are all busy with our own music and instruments, we are still subconsciously listening for something. We may not be able to place it but when we hear it, we sit up and pay attention. As an entrepreneur, you cannot afford to play the same tune as everybody else. You need to find a unique piece to play; something different. Note that I did not say something better, or magnificent, or earth shattering. No, I mean just different. This is the where the relevance of concepts like branding, niche markets and positioning comes in.

Come to think of it - what is the difference between a ‘Timex’ and a ‘Rolex’? Which one tells the time most accurately? I dare say neither. But Rolex was soldto us in a different manner. The manufacturer knew we were listening for celebration. And we get this when tells us his watch is for the most successful people around. Same goes for Mercedes and some other premium brands.

Why did we all suddenly move to ‘Ariel’ and forgot about other brands of detergents? Because they showed us they cared about us when we asked for a more affordable pack. They did not reduce the real price or quality of the product, but they put it within our reach with the mini packs. We did not have to accept suspicious looking blue detergents tied in nylons as ‘Omo’ or ‘Elephant’. They proved to us that they were listening. So when they spoke, we returned the courtesy by buying. Consumers may not have realized it, but they were actually waiting for a product that showed they had been heard. This is critical for you as an entrepreneur. You must play to ensure somebody hears, even if they were not listening initially. Blasting away your music mindlessly is just lost resource. That is money going down the drain.

So what should you do to be heard-
· Find a beautiful tune lying deep in your heart and play it out. You will be applauded
· Play during the intermission, you will be a welcome refreshment.
· Ask those around what they would like to hear play it.
· Play a tune that has not been played for a while.