Nathania Johnson

The secret is Listening.

Not hearing. Not skimming. Not reading. Not reading without comprehending.

Listening.

Listening to your niche.

Listening to other authorities.

Listening to your coworkers

Listening to your customers.

Listening to your competitors.

Listening to your listeners.

It’s impossible to do true improv without listening. To be in a given moment, you have to pay attention to what’s going on in that instant. To improvise, you have to be able to adjust to new information, which you can only gather from listening.

True listening runs at a slightly slower pace than today’s technology-driven society. But the results are worth it. Listening develops carefully thought-out perspectives, which can inform your impulses.

Listening also requires humility. It requires that you’re not stuck in your ways and that, even if you ultimately disagree, you respond with respect. You get respect when you give it. And listening helps you gain respect among your coworkers and customers.

What are your thoughts on listening?

Today at the Triangle Interactive Marketing Association’s Luncheon, the topic was social media. Permission-based marketing popped up, which I didn’t expect. I usually associate that with email marketing.

Peter Shankman discussed a campaign that Mac - the makeup company, not the computers - embarked on. They targeted teen female bloggers. The plan was to send them free makeup samples. But before they did, they asked permission first.

Sam Harrelson related how Microsoft also wanted to market to young, hip bloggers with the Zune. But instead of asking if they could send the digital media player, they simply mailed it. They caught a lot of flack for it as a result.

Sam said that when you ask permission, you empower the blogger. This is especially true of teenagers, who often struggle to find empowerment in a world where there are parents, teachers, and laws surrounding their age (driving, drinking, etc.)

Permission isn’t something we typically think about in improvisation. Moments happen. Improvisers and audiences must deal with them accordingly.

But I sometimes think that the permissiveness in improv often leads us away from impulse and right back towards our safe inhibitions. The same old joke or the same old feeling - are they really improv? Or are they just safe choices? Could permission be the key to unlocking our comfort zones?

Perhaps the first place to start is simply giving ourselves permission to examine the authenticity of our most recent improvisations.

What are your thoughts on permission as it relates to marketing and improvisation?