Clearing October’s dull Fogg

Nostalgia hit

The smell of rollies and cut grass awakens my senses on my way into the office.

It takes me straight back to my teenage years at KEVICC, and demands that I throw my bag into one of the two mounded piles on the dewy grass and chase after the nearest white bag of air-filled leather.

It nostalgically reminds me how much of our behaviour runs on memory and instinct, not logic.

I indulge the warm feeling, and I can picture the glory of winning singles just before the bell. And equally, the frustration of going out in the first round to a shot that was way over the imaginary bar of our bag-made goalposts.

When one of the better players was out, those already through could sense blood like a pack of hyenas. Lloyd was quick to call the goal and usher everyone onto the pitch. 

He was a twat that day.

How was your month?

Apparently, it was the Dullest October in 60 years, even the rain looked bored. 

Between job cuts and low spirits, it’s easy to lose motivation. Yet even in that fog, I saw rainbows bookending my days, and I enjoy watching the fire as much as the telly when I settle for my evening rest.

Much like a soft rainbow, I was heartened by the positivity and connection at the local B Corp Exeter event. Come next time, you don’t need to be a B Corp to attend, just curious and nice (not you, Lloyd).

And speaking of dull, our trade stand (the dull brown of cardboard amid a sea of colour ) was, to quote others, “the talk of the Devon Business Show.”

We even won Best Stand, voted unanimously by the judges.

Turns out beige is the new bold.

I digress as ever. 

So, I didn’t throw down my bag this time. I arrived at the office and led one of many marketing planning sessions this month.

With each of these, there’s a real keenness to explore how we communicate with our customers (or community, as I prefer).

In the absence of clarity, I notice most tend to do nothing.

That’s what strikes me in so many conversations. People care, they plan, but something stalls between intent and action.

These sessions seem to kickstart something, action from re-ordering thoughts around customer thinking and mapping it all out.

And that brings me to what’s been on my mind lately, how we move from thought to action.

Or, to put it another way, how to clear the Fogg.

Clearing the Fogg

Behaviour = Motivation × Ability × Prompt

Developed by Stanford psychologist BJ Fogg, it shows that behaviour happens when someone is motivated, able, and prompted at the same moment.

It’s a great way to explain drop-offs in a digital journey.

If users abandon a sign-up form, maybe they’re motivated but find the process too hard (low ability), or they don’t see the right prompt at the right time.

It’s highly unlikely that you’ll accidentally create all three of these without understanding more about your customers.

And believing that holding a better market share, looking better, or being cheaper than the next business is enough is about as useful a proxy as choosing leaders on charisma.

 “People ignore design that ignores people.” – Frank Chimero

(I didn’t know who he was either until recently) but his writing is really excellent.

This week I networked with someone who had recently done a workshop and found some clarity in how to approach his customers. We laughed together in a way we hadn’t before, the session had connected us closer which was nice.

A third party approached. The first thing they said was, “I saw your new courses on LinkedIn.”

We launched into a long chat about what they were and who they were for. Their actions and effort validated at the next possible touchpoint.

If you do anything this side of Christmas ready for the new year, please make strides towards a customer-centric content plan.

Here’s some reading, each of the steps below builds either motivation, ability, or the right prompt – All the ingredients for action:

• Understand your audience
• Define your voice
• Create a golden thread
• Make a plan
• Tell your story

It’s simple, but it isn’t easy. Meaningful things often are.

As I packed up that day, the smell of cut grass drifted through the window again.

Funny how the senses bring you full circle: memory, motivation, and the gentle nudge to get moving.

PS. Next time you hear from me it’ll be nearly Christmas. In our house, we watch Harry Potter every weekend in the build-up.

There’s a lovely quote from Dumbledore as he stands in front of the Mirror of Erised:

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”