Bill Matassoni

"You always have two choices: your commitment versus your fear."

Sammy Davis Jr.

"You always have two choices:

your commitment versus your fear."

Sammy Davis Jr.

SPACES & DIMENSIONS

“It seems obvious, doesn’t it? That leadership was part of McKinsey’s identity and value? But sometimes you are too close to see it or articulate it. Yes, we knew we were doing more than saving our clients’ money and helping them redirect their strategies. But more importantly, we were supporting and advancing the quality of leadership in the corporate sector both in the U.S. and other prospering economies. We needed to think about that idea and live up to it. Once we discovered, or rediscovered, our strength, we needed to do something about it. In fact, we did three things.”

***

“You sure we need to do this? I know my customers,” says the CEO. “No, you don’t,” says Michael. They go inside the trailer home to visit with a woman in her 50s, a large woman sitting in her rocking chair with a fan whirring behind her. They thank her for her time and start talking about life in general and then get onto the subject of bug spray. As they are talking, guess what starts walking across the floor towards the woman? No kidding, the largest roach either of them has ever seen. Michael said they weren’t sure what they should do. Should they interrupt the conversation and mention to the woman that a bug the size of a tank was making its way toward her? But she solved the problem for them. Without missing a beat, she got up from her chair, reached into a cabinet, took out a can of bug spray, their bug spray, went over to the roach, held the nozzle about 3 inches over it and started to spray. Michael said that both he and his client counted: one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three, one thousand four, one thousand five.

Nozzle off. Michael said he doesn’t think the roach died from the chemicals in the spray. “It drowned.”

He went over to the woman, leaned down and asked, “What was that?”

She looked at him and said, “That was my first husband.”

Michael swears this is true. And the client did, in fact, change its marketing message. Instead of highlighting the product’s toxicity, his company began to highlight how the product—I hate to use the word—empowers you and protects you. You are the queen of your castle, not just a bug buster.”

From Bill’s memoir, Marketing Saves The World.

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SPACES & DIMENSIONS

“It seems obvious, doesn’t it? That leadership was part of McKinsey’s identity and value? But sometimes you are too close to see it or articulate it. Yes, we knew we were doing more than saving our clients’ money and helping them redirect their strategies. But more importantly, we were supporting and advancing the quality of leadership in the corporate sector both in the U.S. and other prospering economies. We needed to think about that idea and live up to it. Once we discovered, or rediscovered, our strength, we needed to do something about it. In fact, we did three things.”

***

“You sure we need to do this? I know my customers,” says the CEO. “No, you don’t,” says Michael. They go inside the trailer home to visit with a woman in her 50s, a large woman sitting in her rocking chair with a fan whirring behind her. They thank her for her time and start talking about life in general and then get onto the subject of bug spray. As they are talking, guess what starts walking across the floor towards the woman? No kidding, the largest roach either of them has ever seen. Michael said they weren’t sure what they should do. Should they interrupt the conversation and mention to the woman that a bug the size of a tank was making its way toward her? But she solved the problem for them. Without missing a beat, she got up from her chair, reached into a cabinet, took out a can of bug spray, their bug spray, went over to the roach, held the nozzle about 3 inches over it and started to spray. Michael said that both he and his client counted: one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three, one thousand four, one thousand five.

Nozzle off. Michael said he doesn’t think the roach died from the chemicals in the spray. “It drowned.”

He went over to the woman, leaned down and asked, “What was that?”

She looked at him and said, “That was my first husband.”

Michael swears this is true. And the client did, in fact, change its marketing message. Instead of highlighting the product’s toxicity, his company began to highlight how the product—I hate to use the word—empowers you and protects you. You are the queen of your castle, not just a bug buster.”

From Bill’s memoir, Marketing Saves The World.