Tying It All Together

Sometimes it just takes awhile for it to "click."

I've been reading Jeffrey Gitomer's articles and books for close to 20 years. He was the first guy I ever saw who put together lists of advice and tips that ended in "point-five" -- 9.5 Ways To Do This, 3.5 Reasons For That, etc.

I met Scott "That Name Tag Guy" Ginsberg just a couple years ago. Scott ends his articles and online videos with "Let Me Ask Ya This..."

Although I count myself as a fan of these two writers, I never stopped to really delve into the reasons their writing just seemed to hit home with me. It wasn't until re-reading Gitomer's "Little Green Book of Getting Your Way" for the 3th time (actually I was listening to the audio version for the 5th time -- nothing like having Gitomer with you on your daily commute giving you valuable advice on your way to work) when I realized there was a real strategy behind his "point-five" lists (actually, I didn't realize all by myself, he pretty much spells it out -- I just happened to really "hear" it fr the frst time. See why you're supposed to read/listen to these sorts of books more than once??)

Gitomer creates useful numbered lists of tips and advice, but then adds his unique "point-five" as a way to -- well, let me just use Jeffrey's own words. From page 170 in his The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way...

I end my lists with .5 rather than a whole number, for 2.5 reasons:
1. The .5 statement at the end of each list I make is the glue that binds the rest of the list.

2. Ending this way makes me think deeper about the subjetc. Think of a higher level. Here's where I can add philosophy, humor, challenge, and a final call to action.

2.5 It makes my lists different from all other lists. It brands me and sets me apart from all other list makers (except for the few that copy me).

Pretty good idea, eh?
Although I didn't ask for personal confirmation, my guess is that Scott Ginsberg ends with his "Let Me Ask Ya This..." for similar reasons. His final question is always a call back to the information he's shared in the article and a chance for the reader to think a little more deeply about how the information might apply to them personally. More recently Scott has begun adding a second line: "Let Me Suggest This..." This new line is always accompanied by a simple call to action -- usually an invitation to request a free list from Scott via email that builds on the topic addressed in the article.

It finally "clicks" for me.
If it's good enough for Aesop (that guy who wrote all those ancient parables that our parents used to read to us as kids) to add a moral at the ends of all his stories, why shouldn't I?

From now on, I will endeavor to add my own bit of parting wisdom (such as it is) to the end of my blog posts and articles. Since I am such a big fan of questions that lead to increasing the elevel of creative thought, it seemed only natural that my end-cap should be a question, and my all-time favorite question has always been "What-if?" (you really should have seen this coming, after all -- I did write the book.) So here we go... the legendary moment...!

What If...?
What if you found a better way to do things?
Would you do have the guts to admit you may have been doing it wrong all these years and make the change to improve?

What if you came up with your own unique signature way to end your messages?
Your letters? Your emails? Your Facebook posts?

What if you started today?

The Strong Tail

You've heard the theory of The Long Tail, here's my twist -- The STRONG Tail.

The Long Tail explained, per Wikipedia:

The Long Tail is a retailing concept describing the niche strategy of selling a large number of unique items in relatively small quantities -- usually in addition to selling fewer popular items in large quantities. The concept was popularised by Chris Anderson in an October 2004 Wired magazine article, in which he mentioned Amazon.com and Netflix as examples of businesses applying this strategy. Anderson elaborated the Long Tail concept in his book The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More.

The Long Tail is thusly named because when charted, these smaller sales of a large number of items trails off into the distance like the long sloping tail of some prehistoric beast.



Keep this concept in the back of your mind as I tell you about another Wired writer's thought provoking concept of "1,000 True Fans." Kevin Kelly is the co-founder of Wired, and posits this theory:

A creator, such as an artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, designer, videomaker, or author -- in other words, anyone producing works of art -- needs to acquire only 1,000 True Fans to make a living.

A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can't wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans.

A solid concept. I loved this idea as soon as I heard it. The theory rings true, because I know that I AM one of those 1,000 fans for a number of performers and writers (Hi Gitomer!) The 1,000 True Fans theory also fits nicely into the Long Tail continuum.

Which brings us my theory of The Strong Tail
The Strong Tail begins to form at the very end of The Long Tail. It's made up of the amazing small quantity of super-fans who are willing to pay a premium for access to your product/service/presence. There are only a few of them, but they are willing to open their wallets wide for access to exclusive items.

If The Long Tail was represented by the tail of a Brontosaurus/Apatosaurus, The Strong Tail is represented by the tail of a Stegosaurus. It has the long sloping tail of the former thunder lizard, but the latter's tail culminates in a set of spikes that reach upwards to match most of the overall tail height.

These 'spikes' are investments in rare one-of-a-kind signed editions, original art, limited edition prints, private performances, one-on-one consulting and conversations. These items come at the end of The Long Tail because there are very few of the items available, but the price to own these items (and the passionate people who must possess them) drives the profit on these rare items higher up the chart.

Instead of 1,000 True Fans -- you may only need three of them to pay you for individual consulting advice. You may only need two of these people willing to pay you $50,000 each for a private corporate seminar. Or you may only need a single individual to shell out $100,000 for an original painting.

That's The Strong Tail
What do you think of this newest adaptation?
Please leave a comment below!

Author's note regarding the prior inclusion (now removed) of Seth Godin's First Ten concept... Good feedback from my friend @morningtoast convinced me that including First Ten in the Long Tail chart was a bit confusing and didn't really conform to the core concept because Seth was talking about winning your first 10 fans and riding their positive word of mouth to higher popularity and sales -- make it run a reverse course on the Tail. I see what he means, and although I feel Godin's First Ten is a cousin to the Long Tail, it made the chart a bit confusing to navigate and may have served to obfuscate the explanation of my Strong Tail concept -- which was the whole point of this post in the first place.