Angsana CULTIVATING NEW BUSINESS

Who’s afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

Last night I was busy sorting out my cluttered attic. During this dusty mission I came across my copy of the ‘Read it Yourself: Three Little Pigs’ hardback Ladybird book. Since last reading this book I was pleased to notice that my reading skills have advanced beyond the book’s ‘Reading Level 3’ – I’m sure I must around 5 or 6 by now!

As we all know, The Three Little Pigs is a fable featuring anthropomorphic pigs who build three houses of different materials. Printed versions date back to the 1840s (my book was from 1977), but the story itself is thought to be much older.

The most well-known however may be the 1933 Academy Award-winning Walt Disney cartoon. The accompanying song “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” became an uplifting anthem during the Great Depression showing how the literary rule of 3, great storytelling and a catchy tune all work together to create a hit.

It is an unsettling time for creative and communications businesses as the economy stabilises but three simple rules can help businesses keep the wolf from the door:

– A well-defined offer that is clear, relevant, differentiated and supported by a strong story with evidence from external parties
– Good prospect chemistry underpinned with high quality proposals, presentations and good listening skills
– Well-executed sales campaign to get your offer out to targeted prospects with tenacity generating a quality new business pipeline

The first two are good, but without effective sales efforts from the third to put you in front of prospective buyers of your services they will not be much more effective at keeping out the wolf than a house built of straw or sticks.

See just how good this cartoon is. It really is a classic that has captivated the young and the old for generations.

Also, if you would like to buy a copy of a 1977 hardback ‘Three Little Pigs’ book to test your reading level against mine, you can find a lovely copy here: http://www.woollywonder.co.uk/ourshop/prod_2926436-Three-Little-Pigs-Ladybird-Read-It-Yourself.html

At least you won’t have to break the piggy bank…

Tags: , ,

Categories: Lead Generation, New Business