3. Do You Put First Things First?
Posted by Jaci Russo
This week we are reviewing The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey and how these habits are such necessary parts of the branding of a company or product.
The habit that we are covering today is Habit 3 - Put First Things First. Traditionally, Habit 3 has been the focus of prioritizing on a personal level. This habit is probably why so many people believe that the 7 Habits are all about time management.
Watch this video about taking care of the big rocks first and you will see how important it is to handle the big important tasks before the small inconsequential ones.
Look a little deeper. This habit is really about so much more than just prioritizing your “to do” list.
Seth Godin knows. His recent post, The Priority List, touches on this very subject:
“Is it better to email an existing customer, send a brochure to a prospect or improve your product a bit? Should you tweet or post a new blog post? Should you have a meeting to coordinate your team or spend ten minutes returning phone calls instead?
This is an unheralded skill, something successful people do really well and others struggle with.”
But look at Habit 3 - Put First Things First through the eyes of branding. It’s about the consumer, right. So it should be, “Put the consumers first.” So it’s not about what you or the board thinks or likes. It’s about what will connect emotionally with the consumer and drive them to act.
When you put your consumer first, then you know all about them. You have identitifed their demographic and psychographic profile. You know what they need. You know what they are searching for - deeply searching. Beauty? Safety? Security? What do they seek above all else?
When you know these answers, then you know exactly what to put first.
