To Make An Impression, Share Your Unique Point of View

This post was originally published on Medium.com.

In our current world of way overinflated noise-to-signal ratio, if you want to elevate yourself above the market noise, you must be recognized for your unique stance — that nuanced blend of point of view, insight and experience, that has led to your confidence in the ideas or counsel you share.

I submit that the best way to increase others’ confidence in your stance is through conversations that demonstrate your perceptual acuity and your ability to synthesize insights from those perceptions.

I opened up several recent leadership roundtables by sharing some observations. After one such occasion, an attendee asked me: “Are these trends or fads?” I realized then how important it is to distinguish between these terms — not just for his understanding of my points, but for my credibility. As a result, I have been thinking about the distinction between observations, trends and fads. All three are critical to your portfolio of strategic relationships.

Observations are discernible traits, symptoms, causalities, that we become aware of through attention across a broad spectrum of venues and occasions. Observations are about phenomena that capture our interest. Observations support the ability to make strategic decisions.

Trends are hypotheses based on measurable change in a set of data over time. A trend may concern a change of direction, or an increase or decrease in momentum. When we perform sentiment analysis to find the happiest city in China, or monitor the growth in number of people accessing the Internet from tablet devices, we are studying a trend in order to test a hypothesis about it. Like observations, trends support strategic decision-making.

Fads reflect a widely shared enthusiasm for something, usually by a large population, that comes quickly and just as quickly fades. Fads can be fun, and perhaps revelatory about human behavior, but don’t confuse them with observations and trends. Fads should never be the focal point of strategy. Fads are not a driver of strategic growth between relationships.

In communicating your stance to your relationships, it is helpful to distinguish between these three. Working from the definitions above, let’s test your ability to identify whether something is an observation, a trend, or a fad:

· The Flip camera basically invented the market for pocket-sized camcorders when it debuted in 2008. It was declared DOA by 2011. It didn’t take long for the camera phone to kill the Flip. Fad.

· My FitBit gives self-monitoring a social component. Using social media, it allows me to share my exercise accomplishments, and see those of my friends. As a result, I try a little harder. (What, me competitive?) Observation.

· Major hotel chains are increasingly switching to smartphone keys: mobile apps that let guests unlock their rooms using a smartphone. Guests can be notified by text when their rooms are ready, then breeze past check-in. I see convenience growing as the Internet of Things expands. Trend.

· The more tech-centric our lives become, the more we appreciate simplicity. Some grocery stores have launched “man aisles” where contextually-relevant items are placed together — end caps displaying beer, chips, and barbecue supplies. Some pushback has already surfaced: are men really such idiots we can’t deal with a shopping list? Fad.

· Some retail stores are offering GPS-based shopping apps to help answer “where do I find” questions. The app walks you through your likes and tastes, then, sensing your exact location, leads you to the right shelf. Likewise, commuters get information about subway delays, museum visitors get information about paintings. Connectivity equals convenience. Observation.

· I recently heard about “Dinner in the Sky.” a restaurant service that uses a crane to hoist its diners, table, and waiting staff 150 feet into the air. From Monaco to Mexico, it is the new must-do experience for the adventurous affluent. Where some might see merely self-indulgence, I see relationships connecting over an unforgettable experience. Fad or Observation? You decide.

Talking about trends can heighten acumen, for you and your relationships. Fomenting over fads can be just plain fun. But observations are where real relationship-building takes place, because observations reveal your credibility. Using your God-given aptitude to recognize patterns, synthesize and connect the dots, observations elevate you above the noise.

I get excited about what’s coming in the next generation of trends and fads. A few years ago, who would have believed we would be in bed swiping our fingers across a piece of glass to get the morning news? What will be next to influence how we behave? My curiosity and excitement about new developments continually replenishes my store of observations, and thus, my stance as a consultant.

Nour Takeaways

1. To be a trusted consultant, you must be confident in your stance — your independent lens, which you demonstrate through what you say.

2. Observations and trends support strategic decisions, while fads are merely amusing to observe.

3. Observations reveal your credibility and elevate you above the noise.
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David Nour has spent the past two decades being a student of business relationships. In the process, he has developed Relationship Economics? - the art and science of becoming more intentional and strategic in the relationships one chooses to invest in. In a global economy that is becoming increasingly disconnected, The Nour Group, Inc. has worked with clients such as Hilton, ThyssenKrupp, Disney, KPMG and over 100 other marquee organizations in driving profitable growth through unique return on their strategic relationships. Nour has pioneered the phenomenon that relationships are the greatest off balance sheet asset any organizations possess, large and small, public and private. He is the author of nine books translated into eight languages, including the best-selling Relationship Economics - Revised (Wiley), ConnectAbility (McGraw-Hill), The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Raising Capital (Praeger), Return on Impact (ASAE), and the 2016 forthcoming CO-CREATE. (St. Martin's Press), an essential guide showing C-level leaders how to optimize relationships, create market gravity, and greatly increase revenue. Learn more at www.NourGroup.com.