I’m almost embarrassed to say that our company is thriving in this down economy. The last three months have been the best ever by more than 10%.  What’s the secret?  One word: TRUST.  In this environment people are looking to trade their hard earned dollars for an experience they trust.  In entertainment, ticket sales for movies are strong.  My wife and I were at the theatre last week and the house was packed. Why?  Because we trust the experience we’re paying for.  In business, this principle works the same way.  So how do you build trust amidst this chaos?

What we’re doing is focusing on articulating our customers core values and then infusing them into the work we are doing for them.  It’s cutting out all the extraneous B.S. in their marketing materials and making them leaner machines that get to the heart of their customer’s needs. When their core values are accurately expressed in their marketing materials (writing AND design), their customers have a subconscious reaction to their materials, an intangible feeling of love or hate. What happens is that they attract the customers who are most perfect for them, while turning others off so they’ll not waste their time!  This leaves our customers with more time to nurture their perfect customers, deliver results to them and increase orders as our results drive more customers to them.

And you don’t need to hire a company like ours to help you to articulate your core values and then infuse them into your materials. Send me an email to corey@writersoftheroundtable.com with Core Values in the subject line and I’ll be happy to send you a step by step approach to help you articulate your core values. The process will take you less than 30 minutes in total!  Then you can take those results and hand them over to your own writers and designers to ensure your marketing materials are built around the values of your organization.

It’s actually really easy once you understand the power of the principle.  I was fortunate to learn about core values when working with Bea Fields on EDGE! A Leadership Story. I truly believe that the power of core values can make the difference between thriving and dying in this economy.

Many kids grow up wanting to play for the Red Sox or shooting hoops and making millions for the NBA. In the movie “21″ Ben Campbell (played by Jim Sturgess) grew up wanting to go to Harvard Medical School. But…there was just one tiny problem…he didn’t have the $300,000.00 it was going to take to make it happen.

So, Campbell, the most talented student at MIT, uses his mathematical skills (yes…he’s good with numbers), a few fake ID’s and creative disguises to join his brilliant stats professor (played by Kevin Spacey) and five friends in a plot of counting cards to break the Vegas casinos. And…he almost gets by with it.

As it usually goes in the movies, the mastermind plot begins to unravel, and young Ben Campbell has to decide which direction to turn…and in the end, he does the right thing.

I have to say, however, that Ben used some amazing leadership skills during the plot that we can all learn from. No…I don’t condone counting cards (I have heard that card counting is actually legal unless you are using an outside device…but maybe some of you who are Blackjack players can set me straight), but I am a believer in these leadership skills:

Vision: Ben can see, taste and smell that Harvard Medical School ride. He keeps this vision front and center through both the highs and the lows.

Hard Work and Drive: Ben studies, reads and pours himself into the game of counting cards. He does not want to just learn the skill…he wants to be the best!

When you make the rules, you change the game: Ben and his teammates made the rules, so they change the game of Blackjack. In leadership, you have the opportunity to change the rules (legally of course) so that you get the results you want. If you are leading your organization by worn out rules, there is a good chance you are probably getting the pants beat off you by your competition.

Team Work: The game of counting cards is a team sport, and Ben plays the team according to the rules spelled out by the team. He watches his teams’ signals (Folded arms = Table’s Hot) listens to their language (the word sweet means the count’s at 16) and follows the system to build team chemistry.

Risk: Ben does something that most people don’t. He takes risk after risk by accounting for variable change. Brilliant!

Calm and Composure: Even when the pressure’s on, Ben stays as cool as a cucumber…quiet, calm and quite composed.

Playing a System: In the movie “21″, Professor Micky Rosa (played by Spacey) makes it very clear to the team that they are not “gambling” but that they are counting cards…a methodical system that works over and over again.

LESSONS LEARNED:

As the plot begins to unravel, young Ben Campbell does the right thing (you’ll need to watch the movie to find out what that is,), and he learns these important leadership lessons:

1. Quick fixes almost always don’t’ last. The quick solutions almost always end in disaster.

2. Don’t justify your actions when you know they’re crossing a line! Be very careful about saying “I’m only going to do this negative action one time or until x happens.” Before you know it…you’re hooked!

3. Pay attention to your gut. Ben knew early on in the process that something was not sitting well about this whole scheme, but as with all humans, he gets lured in by the thought of wealth, fame, the hot girl and the thrill.

4. When you create rules that you know are not on the up and up, watch out! The system’ll get you every time!

5. When you become so engrossed in your work that you ignore what’s going on in the periphery of your life, there will be a cost to pay. Ben loses a lifetime opportunity in his quest for money, AND he almost loses his closest friends.

6. Let integrity guide your decision making. In the end, living in integrity and doing the right thing can bring you the greatest rewards in life.

I highly recommend this movie! I watched it two times in 24 hours, and I rarely watch movies two times: