It’s Not Just The Music

Posted: 29/04/2015 | Author: | Filed under: Personal | Tags: , | Leave a comment

After a surprise meeting with an old friend at the @AmberRunUK gig in Oxford, I couldn’t help but write a blog post about music. But it’s not what you might expect.

This friend is a professional music composer, with almost 60 TV and film credits (including many of the BBC’s blockbuster series).  He’s successful and wealthy.  He has so much work he has to turn people away.  Now you’d think that’s because of his talent (huge) and his creativity (unquestioned).  But he made a really interesting comment.  He told me that he consistently writes and produces one hour of music per week.  Yes, PER WEEK.  We all know that musicians can take years to produce an album that’s usually less than one hour long.  So how does he do it? And, more importantly, why does he do it?

He does it because that defines his value.  He knows that makes him distinctive.  With TV producers running to tight deadlines they need trusted delivery.  No-one would question his talent for writing music that meets the brief.  But it’s not just the music.  Even in the complex and creative world of composing, it’s about results.  Being able to deliver on time and on budget is what gets you the reputation that brings you the work.

So why the blog post? It’s a universal truth.  He’s in the creative industry, and you might expect some different rules. But that’s not the case.  Fundamentally, all business is about results.  And the combination of talent and results is what makes us #standout.

Let Them Eat Cake?

Posted: 22/04/2015 | Author: | Filed under: Corporate | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Meritology is always looking for examples of where people add great value to customers. So congratulations to Richoux in St John’s Wood for some #standout service yesterday (it’s a great place for a grown-up lunch, by the way). They proved it’s easy to bring innovation to even the most basic service. Here’s the story.

We’ve been there before, and were confused by the vast array of desserts and pastries on offer. We went for a look, didn’t know what to choose, and ended up saying no. This time, the server brought to our table a wooden tray of various desserts. It was the 2015 version of bringing round the dessert trolley. And, not surprisingly, we both had dessert*.

I have no clue whether the tray is a “corporate” instruction, or the idea of one of their staff. And I don’t really care.  It came across as a simple and smiling way to encourage us to take dessert. Good for us, and good for takings. Last time their approach was to “let them eat cake” (passive). This time, the attitude was to “help them eat cake” (active). Maybe that doesn’t seem like such a big deal, but anything that makes the customer say “wow” has to be a good thing. And it was so simple. And impressive. And memorable….

“Innovation opportunities do not come with the tempest but with the rustling of the breeze.” – Peter Drucker

* And in case you’re interested, I took the perfect apple strudel and my wife had a slice of the fantastic black forest gateaux (very “eighties”!). We’ll be back to try the others…!

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