Trilogies, part 2

Hi everyone. Thanks for indulging me in my cat and mouse game. This place can be so... boring sometimes. Anyway, boys just wanna have fun.

For my Second Act, I will be the new Chief Marketing Officer at ProofPilot. Like most folks in a new role, I sometimes vacillate between the extremes of "I got this!" and "I'm an imposter!" Since there has been plenty written about Imposter Syndrome, and we've all seen the recent outcome of "fake it 'till you make it" companies, I won't cover these topics. But I do want to talk briefly about Empathy and Translation, because in the bitter watches of the night, this is what fuels my confidence.

As a clinical research professional for 23 years, I've seen a lot of company pitches, pitched a few myself, advised startups in this space, and have sold a great deal internally to my employers. As a consumer for nearly 50 years, I've been sold on a great number of things from boxing gloves to lipstick protectors (the only way to workout with a mask on). And in that time I learned about concepts like positioning, pricing models, promotion, adoption, segmentation, lead gen and all the business-y terms we love to throw around to prove our intelligence on the matter. But the most important thing I learned about selling and being sold, is that Empathy and Translations make all the difference.

The most successful people and companies that have sold to me have the following in common. They are aware of my immediate needs, my constraints, the way I spend money, my larger situation, the other people I must convince and deal with, my trade offs, my learning gaps, decision cycle times, what will offend me, and ultimately what will help and delight me, today and beyond. They don't add, they take away. They tap into my dreams, but they don't overreach. They relieve pain. In the words of The Who, "See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Heal Me." My goal will be to lead with Empathy first.

More about the power of Translations in part 3! Don't worry, I'm still making music, and the new single will be out in March.