Hey Y’all,
I firmly believe that nothing will ever exceed it’s intended purpose. Our “what” will never exceed our “why.” So whatever we pursue in life, it should be fueled by a high level of intention. I often ask writers, artists, and speakers who I work with “why do you write?” or “who do you write for?” These questions not only shape the direction of our work but also give me a window into the heart of the person I am working with. I believe that if one person is affected positively by something I write/do/or say it was worth the effort. I also believe that we should be as effective as possible in how we do things. So how do you stay focused on the one person, but not lose sight of the broader audience? That’s what I want to address in this post.
- Whatever You Do, Do It For The One
Whatever we do we should do it for a single person. It’s much easier to write a song for a person than it is for a faceless mass market. It also makes for a better song because it humanizes the process in a new way. If you’re dealing with clients or customers, it helps to think of them as individuals. We all want to be seen, known, and valued. So aim to create products, services, and experiences that will touch individuals in some way. For me, that means writing songs for people, particular people going through hard situations.
The most meaning songs I’ve written have were written for people going through hard times. Those are also typically the ones with the broadest appeal. Likewise, the love songs that I write are usually based on whoever I’m in love with at the time. Those also tend to be the ones that my audience relate to the most. The best way to resonate with an individual is to write for an individual. So keep that in mind as you do whatever it is that you do.
- See The Value Of Your Work In Terms Of A Single Person
One of the most meaning moments of my songwriting career came when my buddy Jed Bayes and I performed “Hannah’s Song” for her mother. Hannah was a fellow student with us in college and had died in a tragic accident. Jed and I wrote a song about her and God’s plan for her life. We had the opportunity to play it live for the first time, for her mother. Her mom said the song had helped her heal from the pain of losing Hannah. At that moment I knew that if I accomplished nothing else in music, it would’ve been worth it.
Whatever product, service, or experience you offer, make it meaningful for your consumers. Create moments that stay with people. Find ways to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. One of the books I recommend you on this is The Power Of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath. This book really zeros in on how to create these types of things. Whatever you do, make sure it adds value to at least one person, and let that one person be worth the work.
- Once You’ve Focused On One, Focus On Every One
Every person matters, so every person should be touched by what you create. To me, this is fundamental to marketing. You need to have things that are worth sharing and will affect as many individual lives as possible. When you launch a product that will meet a consumer need, it is your job to share it. When you write a song that can help someone, it is your job to make sure it gets heard. If you have a compelling story(which we all do), it is your job to tell it.
Ultimately every time someone benefits from what you do, it is a great feeling. It’s a huge part of why we exist as people. Because we love the individuals we serve(our target market), we want to help as many of them as possible. Once we have created something meaningful, we want to do as much good as we possibly can with it. So once you’ve helped one, help everyone you can.
I hope this has helped. As we continue to work towards our unique goals, I would love to get your thoughts. How do you focus on one person? Let me know in the comments sections.
Paul
