What happens when you're attacked by a banana

In the Self-Defence Against Fruit scene in Monty Python, John Cleese plays an army instructor teaching his men on how to disarm and defend yourself against someone with a piece of fruit. It’s hilarious, and after much to-do he eventually decides to talk to them about bananas. That is, what to do if you’re attacked by a banana, and of course as some of you will remember, Michael Palin interrupts and says ‘what happens if it’s a bunch of bananas’ at which point he’s told to shut up.

Naturally, I love Monty Python, Cleese’s army instructor is overbearing, snotty and a little intimated by his own class. He dominates and instructs through fear and no one is allowed to contradict. Now, I’m not trying to over think this, or intellectualize a comedy scene, that just takes the fun right out of it, but I challenge anyone to not come up with at least one person in authority that reminds them of John Cleese’s army instructor. The rigidity in attitude, the lack of flexibility, the insistence of doing only one thing and of not listening to anyone else, not even your own students.

This might seem like a tenuous link to copywriting or entrepreneurship, but here we go, if nothing else it’ll amuse and entertain (but perhaps not quite as much as Monty Python).

Don’t prevaricate, be ambiguous, or rigid and inflexible in your attitude, whether you’re copywriting or whatever else it is you do.

Be fluid, be prepared to fail, learn and move sideways, forwards or backwards, do whatever is required. And always be honest, upfront and unambiguous in your message.

And always be prepared to listen to those you serve, whether it’s students you’re teaching on an online course or the clients you work with.

Listen, always listen and come in with a positive attitude, don’t shut yourself off to feedback, always look to see how you can do things better again next time.

And you know what? If you do that, people will always want to work with you again.

Regardless of whether you’re giving them bananas or a whole bunch.