Tribe Building

Why Malcolm Gladwell is Wrong about Chris Anderson

2009-07-11T16:25:27-05:00

In a recent article, Malcolm Gladwell articulates an impressive argument explaining why Chris Anderson is wrong in his new book - “Free: The Future of a Radical Price”. Malcolm’s article led to this blog post by Seth Godin.

For the record, I’m a huge fan of Malcolm Gladwell and his awesome work. Also, Chris forgot to send me a copy of his new book for review, so I’m admitting that I’ve yet to read it. Regardless, for this discussion, reading it isn’t necessary.

Here’s why Malcolm is wrong:

First, he spends much time discussing YouTube, and the fact that it’s failed to make a profit for Google. Unfortunately, Malcolm entirely misses the point as he uses this example to shoot holes in Chris’s argument. The only real reason YouTube has failed to make a profit for Google is because businesses are too slow to adapt to new marketing. YouTube is nothing more than attention. It’s an awesome place for right-brained business people to create new ways of being noticed. My company is already having success marketing on YouTube. Give it time and YouTube will be turning a huge profit for Google.

Second, Malcolm lists a number of examples where the Free model isn’t being used and success is found, but again, he misses the point. Free is about attention, free turns heads, free can get you noticed. Free isn’t about what’s working or isn’t working today. You can fight the rule of Free all you like, but Free is sort of like gravity, you’ll spend much more energy working against it than you will working with it.

Third, and this is the main reason I believe Malcolm is wrong. Because he doesn’t want Chris's law of Free to be right. How often have we seen it? Business leaders everywhere have refused to accept the changing nature of the world, the evolving tribal nature of people on the Net. Just like many other people, Malcolm is afraid. He’s watching the world as he’s known it change faster than any of us are truly ready to admit.

Tribal Destruction - Now Amazon?

2009-05-29T13:05:51-05:00

Don’t promise me something unless you’re willing to keep that promise.

Writing this post makes me sad. I’ve been a HUGE fan of Amazon.com over the years. It’s safe to say that I’m in the Amazon Tribe (for now). This isn’t a post bashing Amazon, but it is a post about an experience I recently had with Amazon and let it serve as a caution such that you don’t find yourself destroying your own tribe in this way. Unfortunately, now I’ll have a very hard time trusting Amazon the way I have in the past. That’s the worst part about tribal destruction - it’s not easily measured.

Approximately the middle of May, I ordered a new 46” LCD HDTV (big difference between a book and a TV). Upon checking out, I was careful to make certain of the delivery date as this month I’m crazy busy and know it will be tough to work a day in to receive the TV. According to Amazon, the delivery date was GUARANTEED to be May 29^th. This would be perfect as I could be home that day to receive the TV.

May 28^th, I’m contacted by a shipping company and told the television would probably be delivered June 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd, but they would call me back on Monday of the next week in order to schedule and appointment. Well, that would be fine if I had time that week to schedule an appointment, but I don’t. I needed the LCD TV to be delivered May 29^th.

It would have been quite alright with me if Amazon had simply not offered me a guaranteed delivery date. I suppose the best lesson to learn from this is you shouldn’t make a promise (or guarantee) that you can’t keep.

Just for the record, the people at Amazon were all very nice and did everything they could do to help me. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to convince the shipping company to delivery the TV on the guaranteed date. As I write, the TV is on it’s way back to Amazon and I’m heading to Wal-Mart to purchase a 46” LCD TV.

10 Steps to Marketing in a Tribe

2009-04-08T10:53:55-05:00

Marketing in a tribe is great way to boost sales, increase awareness and earn word of mouth evangelism. This 10 step list is proven. I’ve successfully marketed products this way and I’ve seen many other people and businesses successfully market this way.

1) Forget everything you think you know about marketing.

2) Locate a tribe with members who would benefit from purchasing your product/service. For example, if you’re in the gun safe business, a tribe of passionate firearms enthusiasts is where you need to be.

3) Join the tribe.

4) Don’t attempt to “market” anything. If the tribe meets in an online forum, don’t even put your business website on your signature. You’ll be seen as a spammer and you’ll never truly become a member of the tribe. Other tribe members and leaders won’t allow it. Regular marketing in a tribe is a big “no no”. If the tribe has a “profile page”, it’s okay to list your business and what you do. The important thing is that the tribe members don’t view you as a someone marketing a product.

5) Make quality contributions to the tribe in areas unrelated to your business (i.e. Start discussions, respond to discussions in a meaningful way, etc.).

6) Make connections with other tribe members. Find a few tribe members you resonate with and make a conscious effort to connect with them.

7) After you’ve been accepted into the tribe, it will be inevitable that tribe members ask what you do - or what business you’re in. Only now, is it wise to tell them your business (no sales pitches). If curious, perhaps they’ll check out your “profile page” and learn it from there.

8) When you see a discussion that’s somewhat relevant to your business - contribute to that discussion with facts (not sales attempts). Facts about the product/service are needed. That's probably why the discussion was started. NO sales pitches.

9) Eventually, word will get around to other tribe members that you’re in the “whatever” business. That's okay, because you're now an accepted tribe member - not just someone trying to make a sale.

10) At this point, the tribe has accepted you as a member and a few of the members know what you do. If you’ve been a good tribe member, other tribe members will view you as a “trusted expert” in your business and they’ll be coming to you for recommendations. Remember, trust is very important, so even at this point it’s not wise to try and make a sale. Only present the facts. More often than not, the other tribe members will come to you and choose your product if it meets their needs.

Aside from my own endeavors, one of the best examples I’ve seen of this kind of marketing occurs everyday in a firearms enthusiast tribe. This tribe meets in an online forum. One of the members happens to be in the gun safe business. In fact, he’s a gun safe expert. The key is that he’s NOT there to market. He’s a member of the tribe, just like me. However, anytime there’s a discussion about gun safes, you can bet he’s participating by talking facts (NOT marketing). In the eyes of the tribe members, he’s a “trusted expert” and many tribe members go to him with their gun safe needs. He sells many gun safes this way without any traditional marketing. You can do the same if you follow these ten steps.

Zane Safrit’s BTR Interview of Ed Welch

2009-04-07T14:03:17-05:00

A few weeks ago, Zane Safrit extended the opportunity to ask some questions about tribes, my ebook list - 101 Ways to Destroy Your Tribe (pdf) and my manifesto on Changethis - Learning to View your Customers as a Powerful Tribe.

If you don’t know Zane, he’s a super nice guy. One of his passions is to create a movement to help change the healthcare system. We all know it needs major changes and I admire his passion and work to get the word out.

When it comes to business, Zane is a lot like me, he wants to see businesses understand the power of tribes and better serve us (the customers).

If you would like to learn a little more about tribes, you can listen to Zane and I talk here.

Enjoy! And a special thanks to Zane for taking the time to visit with me.

Tribes vs Communities

2009-04-06T18:16:55-05:00

What’s the difference between a tribe and a community? The short answer? Passion. Tribe leaders are very passionate about “something.” Their passion is contagious, drawing followers into their tribes.

Tribe members are passionate as well - at least passionate enough to care about something and take action. It’s this passion that draws the members of the tribe together with tribe leaders.

Communities are more of a “gathering place”, they’re sort of stagnant. Communities are formed from common interests of community members. Great tribes are in motion, looking to accomplish or prove something. It’s true that online tribes need a place to gather, but they’re usually on a mission. Often, you’ll find tribes within communities. In fact, it could be argued that most online tribes come from within communities. But, not everyone in the community will be a tribe member.

In Oklahoma, you’ll find two distinct sports tribes - Oklahoma Sooner fans and Oklahoma State Cowboy fans. These two tribes have been at war, both on the sports field and off, for nearly a century. The most passionate fans are out to prove their teams (programs) are best. Many of the tribe members degrade and ridicule one another.

What makes these people tribe members is the passion they share for the success of their sports programs. They wear their schools colors and logos with pride. Make no mistake, these people are serious. When an O-State fan ventures into the hangout of the Sooner tribe (i.e. OUHoops) - they’re often treated quite poorly. Same goes for Sooner fans venturing into O-State tribal territory (i.e. Orangepower).

What’s the takeaway? Look for tribes within communities, but don't assume that a community is a tribe. Great tribes are formed by people with expertise, desire and passion, but don't place too much emphasis on expertise.

Am I a Member of a Tribe?

2009-02-18T18:09:33-06:00

Sure. Everyone is a member of many tribes. Sometimes being a tribe member is as simple as feeling associated with particular people (political party, etc.). Other times, tribal membership requires a barrier to entry (initiation, etc.)

When you’re feeling an association with certain people, you’re probably a member of a tribe. Consider these examples:

- You really like Barack Obama, you agree with his ideas and find yourself feeling connected to others who support him. Although you’ve never met him or his supporters, you’re in the Obama Tribe.

- You feel strongly about your 2nd Amendment rights. You feel there are too many gun control laws already. You want more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens and less guns in the hands of criminals. You’re in the gun rights tribe.

- Here’s a more traditional tribe. You’re a member of a church. You’re a member of that particular “tribe”. You’re connected to the Church leader and the other members.

- Here’s a less obvious, but very large tribe. You love Diet Pepsi. You identify better with others who like Diet Pepsi and wonder how anyone can possibly drink that “other stuff”. You’re in the Diet Pepsi Tribe.

- Tribes are everywhere and they’re here to say. What makes them so important now is the Net. An explosion of tribes have formed on the Net. If you use the Net, you’re probably a member of many tribes that wouldn’t have been possible without it.

Connections.....Can you please elaborate?

2009-02-16T15:02:40-06:00

Pam asks: "Can you elaborate a little more about connections as you use the word in your tribes manifesto?"

When thinking about connections and tribes, it's important to remember there are varying degrees of connections. Some are loose, others are strong and everything in between.

However, we are all connected in one way or another. What defines a tribe is being connected to each other, a leader and an idea. That idea can be a product, a website, a business, a concept, a political party, etc.

You need not even know someone in order to make/have a connection with them. For example, Pam asked this question, I'm now politely responding via this blog post - thus, we have a "connection". My hope is that when she reads this response, Pam recognizes the connection and retains it in the future. Perhaps she'll continue to read this blog? Maybe she'll read future ebooks I write. Regardless, it's important to realize the subtleties of connections and the importance of those connections in the business world. If I were to have ignored Pam, she might walk away with a negative opinion of me, never read (or refer) my blog, etc. When you think of the positive word-of-mouth I lose - that's a HUGE wasted opportunity.

From almost any perspective, a positive connection leads to good things. With the Net and tools like Twitter, tribes and connections are inevitable.

Connections and Feelings

2009-02-12T18:18:16-06:00

At one time or another, everyone is a customer and everyone has feelings. In case you haven’t noticed, people are generally driven by their feelings.

Successful businesses (and people) are able to establish connections that generate good feelings in other people and themselves. Think about it, when you walk away from a business transaction with good feelings, don’t you feel more connected to the business?

So here’s the big question: If you’re looking to build a successful business, why would you ever engage in a transaction with a customer (or potential customer) that didn’t stimulate good feelings in that customer? The answer, of course, is that you would never want to do that. Right?

If you would like to learn more about the power of connections and how those connections relate to the concept of tribes, check out my newly published manifesto on ChangeThis.com.

http://www.changethis.com/55.04.CustomerTribes

Enjoy!

One Click and a Vote

2009-01-14T12:59:16-06:00

Someone needs your vote. She's a friend of mine. Her name is Becky. You can go to this website and vote for "Stay Hungry".

You can read the ebook you're voting for here. If you don't have time to read it right now, I'll need to ask you to trust me. Becky is an excellent writer and a great friend.

Thanks,

How To Be A Leader

2008-12-31T10:25:58-06:00

This month, Seth Godin asked us, the members of Triiibes.com, to invent and accomplish a project in December. We brainstormed and came up with at least twenty ideas. Three or four of them were quite popular; a lot of people said "Let's do that one!" or "Count me in!" But only two of them happened: the Giant Squid Project and this one, the Triiibes Blog Project.

Why? Because those were the only two with a leader.

It's not as hard as you think to be a leader. Here are my thoughts on what it takes to be a leader, based on my experience with this project.

1. Talk a lot. I posted a lot of comments about the project on the relevant thread. I didn't spam (permission, not interruption) but I spread information and enthusiasm.

2. Create a home for your tribe. In this case, it was a sub-group on the Triiibes forum.

3. Listen, then take decisive action. If I had waited for everyone to reach consensus on our goals, infrastructure, topic guidelines, and editing rules, we never would have gotten off the ground.

4. Delegate. Give others an opportunity to lead as well. Two (or more) in harmony surpass one in perfection. And plus, you'll end up running yourself ragged if you don't ask for help.

5. Have fun! Enjoy the journey and find the joy in your project and the people in it.

Thank you, everyone, for making this a fun and unforgettable growth experience for me, and hopefully a great experience for our readers, too.

Thanks, co-leaders!
Jodi Kaplan and Judy Vorfeld

Thanks, content creators!
Becky Blanton, Bernd Nurnberger, Betsy Wuebker, Bette Miles-Holleman, Bonnie Larner, Ed Welch, Jean-Philippe, Jodi Kaplan, Judy Vorfeld, Dr. Mani Sivasubramanian, Marcos Gaser, Martin Whitmore, Megan Elizabeth Morris, Michael Donk, Stephen Martell, and Tom Bentley

Thanks, editors!
Judy Vorfeld (Editor-in-Chief), Bonnie Larner, Jodi Kaplan, Joel D Canfield, and Tom Bentley

Thanks, sneezers!
Anne McCrossan, Denise Milligan, Didier Daglinckx, Ellen Di Resta, Eric Dorsett, Greg Digneo, Joe Noonan, John W. Furst, Jordan Goodman, Jule Kucera, Martin Whitmore, Molly McMahan, Nadine Toukan, Norma Vela, Patrick Prothe, Rahul Deodhar, Rex Williams, Suzanne Matthiessen, Tom Larsen, and Wendy Siegel

Thanks, aggregators!
Jeremy Meyers and Megan Elizabeth Morris

Thanks, readers!
That's you! Thank you all for reading and commenting.

December is over and so is this project, but stick around; Ed will be continuing to post excellent articles about tribe building, and you'll still see the occasional guest post from us Triiibespeople as well.

Happy New Year!

-Pace (of Pace and Kyeli)