Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 35 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Defining the problem
— From Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t and Other Tough-Love Truths to Make You a Better Writer by Steven Pressfield
Steven Pressfield has become one of my favorite writers. He’s most famous for his works of fiction, but in the non-fiction/business genre, he has some wonderful, eye-opening, a-ha! provoking books.
He has a knack for being brief, concise, to the point, and using relevant examples. In today’s idea—which I’m leaving below verbatim due to its brevity—he goes back to his days in advertising and talks about the importance of defining a problem.
In the ad biz, 20 percent of your time is taken up pursuing New Business. What this means is the [advertising] agency going out and pitching new accounts.
Some accounts seem to be in play all the time. Burger King. 7Up. Chrysler.
To ask why these businesses are always in trouble (and always looking for new ad campaigns to save them) is to ask, “What is the problem?”
Answer—these companies are all perceived as losers.
They’re second best, perennial bridesmaids and also-rans. Burger King is behind McDonald’s. 7Up trails Coke, Chrysler lags behind Ford and GM.
When in 1967 some very smart people on the 7Up account at J. Walter Thompson [advertising agency] came up with a campaign called “the Uncola,” they solved the problem.
The problem wasn’t taste. The problem wasn’t price. The problem wasn’t sugar content.
The problem was the public’s perception of 7Up as a loser.
Calling 7Up “the Uncola” positioned the drink not as a poor second-best to Coke or Pepsi, but as an equal alternative. Just as good, only different.
Define the problem and you’re halfway to the solution.
When we go to the Doctor and after examining us he gives us a diagnosis, he’s defining our problem so that we can solve it. In the advertising world, we just saw Pressfield’s example. In general, the first thing to do when facing a problem is defining it. Then, as Pressfield notes, we can move forward to finding a solution.
My best friend calls this “finding out the name and last name,” that is, the identity or nature of our problem: once we know “who” [what] the problem is, then the road to solving it becomes clear.
What problem are you currently facing without definition? Here are two posts that might help if your problem is along the lines of what Pressfield described: How to apply the Law of the Category to your benefit and Own a word in the prospect’s mind.
ACTION
TODAY: Think of a problem you are facing where you are stuck. How would you define it? Give yourself some time today to figure out the definition (e.g. the “name and last name”) so that you can be on your way to solving it.
FUTURE: Make a habit of giving yourself some time to think when you have a problem that needs definition. The clarity to define it may not come instantly, but it will come as the result of your focused effort to define it (thus the importance to give it your time and thought).
Know someone who could use some definition and clarity about a problem? Please share this post: Email, Facebook, Twitter. Thank you!