I have found over the years that the most powerful word in the English language is the word love. Tell somebody that you love them, and you are sure to get their attention. The second most powerful word comes close … the word idea.
If you tell somebody that you have an idea, I can virtually guarantee you that their response will not be, “That’s too bad. Can you pass the ketchup?”
Ideas, by their very nature, are intriguing and most people who are still capable of fogging a mirror want to hear what you have in mind. This doesn’t infer that they will endorse your idea, or even think that it is plausible, but they will want to hear it. Let’s assume for the moment that this is the case.
With this in mind, and believing it is true (which it is), it makes sense to “have more ideas” and then offer to share your ideas with interested parties.
The problem with most people today is that they don’t believe in anything. Their capabilities. Their companies. Their ideas? Their chosen career path. Their value systems. Their future. Their anything. It has just become easier to settle into the same-ole-same-ole and wait until Friday rolls around. (Which, I might add, occurs faster and faster as the years pass by.)
I would like to put an end to this boorish behavior and call for a movement. Let’s share more “ideas” with each other.
Granted. Most will be absurd and lack any possibility of coming to fruition. Some will be downright stupid and lack any creativity whatsoever. Some may be intriguing and others may be laughable. But some … who is to tell … might be exactly what we need.
Any invention worth mentioning once surfaced as an idea. One such idea was given a failing grade in college, since anybody with a brain knows that FedEx wouldn’t work. Tom Watson, Mr. IBM himself, went on record to say that the computer would never find a place in the home. Put a man on the moon? What have you been smoking?
But I am not talking about these kinds of ideas, although collectively they do make a point. I’m talking about calling somebody up on the telephone and asking them if they would be interested in organizing a fundraiser. I’m talking about conducting your own travel-related conference call on a weekday evening using Zoom. I’m talking about contacting your local wine merchant to see if they would like to collaborate with you on a local project. I’m talking about approaching just about anybody to tell them “you have an idea.” They will listen to you before responding one way or the other.
Tell me you don’t want to. Tell me you are too lazy to try this. Tell me that you haven’t come up with an idea in twenty years. But DON’T tell me ideas don’t capture attention. Because I know better.
Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club, mike@mikemarchev.com.
*** You want more to think about? Check out my weekly podcast (Miked Up Marchev). Also listed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, and iHeartRadio.
