In today’s B2B Podcast Recapper we take a look at episode four of Xero Hour with Bob Knopff and Saul Colt. In this edition, Colt interviews marketing and branding expert Rohit Bhargava about how to recognize business trends, and what it takes to create a winning brand. And we’ll learn exactly what “unperfection” means for your business.
Bhargava is an author, branding innovator, and keynote speaker. He’s worked with some major companies such as Intel, Pfizer, and Amex and he’s also written a number of books on branding and marketing, such as Non Obvious: How to Think Differently, Create Ideas, and Predict the Future.
The newly released book analyzes business trends over the past four years and grades them on a letter scale according to whether they came true or not. It also goes into detail about how to recognize trends when they’re young and use that to your advantage.
“To me, non obvious isn’t just the name of the book but it’s a way of thinking that I try to describe for people and give them some real practical tips on how to do it,” Bhargava explained. “If you can see those things that others don’t see, you can help your business succeed. You can out-think your competitors, and you can win.”
Another important concept from the new book that Bhargava talked about was what he calls “unperfection.” Basically, it means that companies should not try to appear infallible because everyone makes mistakes. Instead, they should own up to their mistakes and learn from them because it puts a human face on the company.
“When we see these pockets of humanity we feel that we can trust them and therefore change the way we talk about that company, and want to do business with them,” Bhargava said.
He touched on the B2B space as well. Bhargava said that small data is arguably more important than big data which is all the rage these days. Often, the most actionable information is the small data because it allows you to enhance or personalize the user experience, and ultimately make a business more attractive to clients. Instead of focusing on collecting more and more data all the time, it might be better to try using what you already have.
Transparency is another thing that can make your business more appealing because people want to know that you’re being fair. Using himself as an example, Bhargava posts his speaking rates on his website and is always up front about how much his services cost. That way, people can see he’s being open and honest.
In closing, Bhargava put emphasis on the power of influence. It’s the key to building a brand because, “When you’re influential, people buy your stuff and follow you,” he said. Branding, marketing, and digital are all factors that go into building influence.
If you want to check out Bhargava’s new book, check it out on Amazon.
See this Podcast Recapper on the first episode of Xero Hour.
