In the fast-paced and high-pressure world of Sales, team leaders and managers often face the temptation to micromanage as targets are ambitious, competition is fierce, and the stakes are high. In essence, micromanagement is to control every part, however small, and in practice typically involves close supervision, requiring insight into every step of a work process, limited autonomy for team members, not delegating tasks and taking over a project, if it’s not being done the “right” way. As a natural consequence, most of the time, micromanagers end up doing everything themselves.
When back in 1972 visionary George P. Mitchell introduced the concept of Sustainable Development, it is questionable if someone could foresee the global impact that this term would have nearly five decades later. According to Britannica.com, Sustainability is understood as a form of intergenerational ethics in which the environmental and economic actions taken by present people do not diminish the opportunities of future generations to enjoy similar levels of wealth, utility, or welfare.
“Sell me this pen!” If you are into the Sales profession, most probably, someone would have asked you this question either in a job interview or in a Sales training session. This question is meant to test someone’s ability to sell a product, even a simple one like a pen, evaluating his/her sales technique, creativity and confidence to make a sales pitch. Moreover, it is aimed to assess how well the responder can problem-solve on the spot, as he/she must articulate his/her thoughts and present an argument quickly and concisely, simulating the real Sales world where objections and questions come up frequently.
Read more: How to Sell a Pen to Someone that is not Using a Pen
A few days prior to New Year, along with the rest of the family we paid a visit to the Lego store in Thessaloniki, in order to get a present for Pavlos, my oldest son aged 15, who has been playing with these little bricks since he was a toddler. After a lot of consideration, he made his choice and as a natural consequence, I stood in a long line waiting to reach the cashier and pay.
As I remember, it took me at least fifteen minutes to approach the counter, so during this time I had the chance to start noticing better not only the people standing in front of me, but also those that were inside the store, which was really packed. It was then that I realised that most of the people were not children or youths, but they were mostly adults of all ages, buying Lego products either for themselves or for other adults.
Consequently, I couldn’t help wondering, how did Lego have successfully approached and engaged adult customers? From what I saw in the selves, the way that the store was arranged and bringing in mind their marketing actions and campaigns throughout the years, the answer to my question came almost instantly: They connected with this audience through storytelling and unique experience-making.
Apart from the obvious emphasis on the building experience and the sense of accomplishment that comes from this process, Lego tapped into the childhood memories of the adults and the sense of nostalgia that is associated with the brand. On top of that, they have been releasing special edition and collector’s sets that do appeal to adult “builders”, while at the same time they highlighted the attention to detail in their more complex and sophisticated products, focusing on the intricate design and engineering that goes into them.
Moreover, Lego have partnered with popular franchises like Star Wars, Harry Poter, Marvel and others, creating sets that are linked with beloved stories and characters. This has allowed them to capitalise on the existing fan communities that are associated with these franchises. They even went further making their own movies (The Lego Movie 1&2, The Lego Batman Movie and The Lego Ninjago Movie), which have generated over $1 billion in worldwide box office revenue that have not only entertained audiences, but also greatly helped to expand their brand.
Lego’s storytelling emphasises the social and communal aspects of their products, as they share stories about adult fans connecting, collaborating, and sharing their Lego creations with one another. They encourage their adult enthusiasts to connect through online groups, fan events, conventions and social media. This fosters a sense of community and belonging among Lego fans.
By weaving compelling narratives around nostalgia, the building process, attention to detail, adult hobbies, popular franchises, product line diversification and fostering community, Lego has successfully expanded its appeal to the adult audience in recent years. In conclusion, Lego’s storytelling helps to forge an emotional connection with this consumer group, which just keeps growing.
Read more: Things that you Notice When you are Waiting to Pay in a LEGO Store
A promise is a commitment or an assurance that something will or will not be done, a declaration that binds it to a particular course of action or inaction. A promise is always future oriented, with the person making it feeling obligated to follow through on what he/she committed to, while the promise recipient expects the person to be reliable and act in accordance with what they stated. When someone makes a promise to another person, a relationship is created between the two, since, if the pledge is fulfilled, it builds trust, establishes credibility, therefore resulting in a valuable connection.