Insights With Trent Munday

My ONE wish this Christmas is to help Lucky Asiimwe and his team at the Kitojo Empowered Girls School. Kitojo is a rural village in Western Uganda and Lucky set up a school a few years ago to help the poor, underprivileged and often orphaned girls break the cycle of poverty. Many of these kids never get the chance to finish primary school. Instead they're forced to work from a very early age in the local stone quarries to help generate income for their families. Ultimately, we're trying to make this school self-sustaining by farming crops and making products that can be sold in the local markets. Right now, our priority is to raise money to pay for teachers, cooks, security, nurse, etc at the school. Just AUD $17,000 is enough to pay all these salaries for 1 year. If you can possibly spare a few bucks, it would mean the world to me if you could click the link below and donate. If you can't, no worries. But maybe you could help share this link with the people in your network. https://www.mycause.com.a

Surprise & Delight is a great concept for your business and your customers. Randomly send them a small gift every now and then. Offer them a discount on a purchase occasionally, just to say Thanks. But there's one additional element at Christmas time that makes it a little harder to Surprise AND Delight your family and friends. And that is...expectations. We all have expectations around the gifts we're going to get for Christmas. Maybe that's due to the subtle hints you've been dropping in the months leading up to Christmas. Or maybe just based on the gift you received last year. Chances are, if you receive Delight - ie: the gift you wanted - it won't be a surprise. You expected it. And if you do get a Surprise, there's a good chance it won't Delight you because you didn't get what you wanted. NB: For Trent's Special Tip For Christmas Gift Giving...tune in. #expectations #surprise #delight

Those of us who tend to see things a bit differently and who are often able to see opportunities where others do not, tend to believe we need to be at the centre of that change. That's where we can make the most impact. That's where we can best reap the rewards. Or so we tell ourselves. But often that's just our ego talking. Sometimes it makes more sense to sit on the fringes of that change while someone else drives it. That way, as you watch and listen, you will be able to respond and react, often with much more flexibility. And in doing so you may well be capitalise on that change even more than if you were at the centre of it. #change #opportunity #fringe

The internet, and all the things that live on the internet, like social media, allows you to sell just about any product or service you just about anyone. But of course, just as it allows you to do that, so too does it allow anyone else to do the same. Thus, essentially Commoditising Everything. Except, according to Gary Vaynerchuck, your ability to communicate. The key to success is identifying what form of communication works best for you. Is it video? Audio? The written word? Or even a Zoom call? Once you've worked that out, double down. #communication #internet #socialmedia

COVID-19 has resulted in many of us 'Working From Home'. In fact, the new reality we're finding is that we could really Work From Anywhere, in many cases. Most see this as an opportunity for companies to save money on their corporate offices and for the workers to get a better Work-Life balance. But there's another opportunity. If you have a consumer-facing or client-facing business, consider creating spaces and environments in your shop or business where visiting customers can stay a bit longer and do some of their work. Maybe your customers will stay a bit longer.  That gives them a chance to build a stronger connection to your brand. They might even spend a little extra money too. #businessidea #outsidethebox #thinkdifferently

When it comes to assigning blame for something, we're often good at point the finger at someone else. But Gary Vaynerchuck's idea of pointing thumbs instead of pointing fingers is sometimes the reminder we need when it comes to accountability. The thumbs point back at you. It's a great perspective on accountability. #accountability #responsibility #blame

As humans we tend to be fascinated by the extraordinary, not the tedious. We love the big, hairy, audacious goals. We want to be the one to build the next Facebook or Amazon or Apple. To be the next Zuckerberg or Bezos or Jobs. But for all but a rare few, that's just never going to happen. Instead, maybe the way you can make the biggest impact in the world is by focussing on the tedious. And while you're there, you may well stumble upon that subtle tweak or iteration that leads you to the next big breakthrough. Who knows? #littlethings #bigideas #realitycheck

What will you do if you do NOT get this job? Imagine being asked that question towards the end of your job interview. It's a great question on a few different levels. Most candidates probably wouldn't expect a question like that so it's not one that they would have prepared an answer for. That means they'll need to think on their feet. How do they handle that? Do they get flustered? Or are they cool and calm? It's also a question that challenges candidates to be honest. The honest answer for you might be that you'll go home and keep applying for other jobs because you need a job. But would you say that? Maybe you'll go an apply at their rival company? But do you tell them that? Great question. Now...What's the toughest job interview question you've ever been asked? #jobinterviewquestions #jobinterviewhelp #jobapplicants

We all have at least a few key messages that we want people to hear. The problem is, people are often too busy or too distracted to hear them. There's just so much noise out there. Most of us have pretty short attention spans. BUT...if you can distil your message down to just one or two words or a phrase or even a couple of images so that it could fit on a t-shirt...I reckon you're on the right track. Because that means that your message is clear enough, succinct enough and obvious enough for people to absorb it with just a quick glance. PS: Beverley Spencer's got some good ones. https://www.linkedin.com/in/beverley-spencer-39aa8017/ #attentionspan #marketing #concise

We're generally pretty good at telling ourselves a story and then convincing ourselves that it's true. The problem comes when we consistently get data and feedback that supports the story we want to believe, we confuse that consistency with accuracy. For example, when you go to a hotel and step on the scales in the bathroom and it shows 2 kg heavier than what your scales at home say. You convince yourself that the one at home is correct. Partly because that's the story you want to believe and partly because the scales at home have been consistently giving you feedback that supports that story. So think about, in your business, what data are you getting that is consistently supporting the story you want to believe - even though it may not necessarily be accurate. #consistency #accuracy #realitycheck

I have a Garmin vivosmart 4 activity tracker. But I refer to it as my Garmin Fitbit. You see, to me, it's a Garmin device that has Fitbit-type functionality. So, in that context, who has won the Battle of the Brands? Fitbit or Garmin? Most would say Garmin wins because ultimately it was their product that I bought. But to me, Fitbit actually has won the battle for that space in the mind of the consumer - me - for activity trackers. Because, even though I wear a Garmin device every day, I still think of it and even refer to it out loud as my Garmin Fitbit. And why is that? The answers will help you solidify your own brand presence. Stay tuned... #branding #brandrecall #brandidentity

Being ignorant can actually be really empowering. As long as you understand that you actually are ignorant about that thing and then you're humble enough to go out and learn about it. Often times we have just a little bit of knowledge and we are content that this is all we need. The end result is, we think we know more than we really do. But if you know you're ignorant and you then seek to learn, you will end up be far more informed. PS: Thanks to Joe Rogan for that little gem on your podcast. #ignorance #alwayslearning #knowledgeispower

A lot of people are dealing with rejection at the moment. Maybe they've been rejected from their job and be laid off or furloughed. Maybe they've been applying for new jobs and getting rejection letters. Rejection can rear its ugly head in may ways, shapes, forms and circumstances. What's important in a time of rejection is that you don't tie that rejection to your self worth. If you look to others for validation, it can be a slippery slope. Instead, you need to be able to look internally for that validation. Then, by all means, look externally for a bit of calibration with the marketplace.  But be comfortable that it's just calibration, not validation. Self-Validation will go a long way to ensuring your long term happiness. #selfvalue #validation #selfawareness

The way we cope and react and respond to our situation and circumstances today will determine our future. Just as the days behind us helped determine and define where we're at today. It's not a new concept. But I do think it's one, especially given the difficulties, stresses and strains many of us are facing right now, that is worth remembering. #perspective #quotestoliveby #lifelessons

Malaysian Airlines just sent me a little box with a few packets of their in-flight peanuts and a nice note from the CEO. Super simple. Inexpensive. Yet impactful. Whatever products you're selling in your business, you could do the same. It doesn't have to be a big, expensive gift. Something small. Send it directly to your loyal customers. Add a personal note. It's that simple...AND impactful. #marketing #customerloyalty #makeanimpact

Gary Vaynerhuck has been saying for a long time now that the key to happiness is having zero expectations. I've always believed the premise. However trying to hold zero expectations is really hard. It seems almost unnatural. BUT...I'm hear to tell you, it is something you can learn to be better at. I'm finding that the more I give - in terms of my time, advice, etc - the less I am expecting from those to whom I give. If you don't appreciate it? That's ok. Don't agree with me? No problem. And it really is an empowering thing. So...keep at it. #expectations #empowering #selfawareness

Habits, of course, don't have to be bad. We can build good habits too. Like exercise. But once you've realised that your habits can actually help unlock your freedom, you'll embrace your habits even more. You see, by embracing your habits it frees you up to think about and focus on other things. And that can be a pretty empowering freedom. #habits #freedom #embracechange  

We often talk about the importance of Customer Service and the process of identifying Customer Touch Points. The problem with Customer Touch Points is... 1. there are lots of them & 2. you don't always have control of them (like if I get your product or service via a distributor) So instead, identify Customer Care Points - those points where your customer is perhaps facing some uncertainty about the purchase or maybe even when they need some post-purchase guidance and reassurance. If you understand your customer's journey then you will understand those points where they need that little extra bit of care. This is where you can the most impact. Just like my health insurance company did yesterday. Take a look/listen... #customerservice #customercare #customerjourney

Today, a question for you. And it's one that's had we stumped for years now. I recently overheard two Indian ladies having a conversation in Hindi but in the in the middle of their discussion they mentioned 'Birthday Cake'. Hang on! That's an English word.  Why don't they have a word for that in Hindi? I understand that when the language was first created the concept of a Birthday Cake may not have existed in the culture. But today, I'm guessing everyone in India is familiar with the Birthday Cake. The same is true of technology terms like Internet, Social Media & Ride Sharing. Why did we come up for words for these things in English, but not in other languages? Any ideas? #language #words #culture

This quote, from Anais Nin, is a nice little reminder of perspective and bias. Oftentimes we like to think that we're keeping an open mind and assessing the situation on its merits. But the reality is, we will always have some level of bias based on our own perspective, experience, knowledge or ignorance. And when that happens, we tend to see things as WE are. NB: Thanks to Tim Ferriss for the Tweet! #biases #perspective #realitycheck