The Persuasion paradox

I have been pondering the above statement lately from a personal view point and a business approach. In a nutshell, I see it as being simply a good human from a personal perspective and from a business perspective a good starting point. It has also got me thinking about all the times we have applied this approach and then taken a bold and fearless move in business.

I have been trying to be more present with people, notice my surroundings and listen carefully to people beyond what they have to say. I have always asked a lot of questions and I have never been afraid to ask when I do not understand. I am a keen fact finder as I have mentioned before (although it has never really helped me at quiz nights!). I like to think I am quietly persuasive but I am not sure I am always an observer who provides great responses, on the basis that it is needed at the time. One of the reasons why I think my responses may not be wonderful is that I have a terrible habit of putting my personal lens on the observation rather than keeping it clean. Sometimes I need to accept it for what it is, full stop.

I really don’t like aggressive conflict/arguing and will often run from it as my first response. I certainly don’t rely on force or intimation but prefer thoughtful persuasion. I am much better at handling a conflict when I have had time to process and think about my response. I remember during my legal professionals course I was always paired with a top scholar at Auckland University as my lecturer thought he would make a good match for a moot (maybe on paper we looked equal!). But I am a terrible responder and always lost against him. I could never be a barrister as I would have to keep asking the judge for time to think and process.

My ramble could go into all the ways to persuade and if you Google search ‘how to persuade’ there are a number of different theories but it seems that Cialdini's 6 Principles of Persuasion: reciprocity, scarcity, authority, commitment and consistency, liking and consensus are the most popular. But I have preferred to ponder about the initial steps of persuasion which I believe equates to being a good human. Observe, listen and ask questions.

So has my business ‘nil’ been ethically persuasive in helping people to look after the planet?

Yes we observe and listen. Each year we do a brand survey to check in with our customers that we are on the right track. We would love you to give 2 minutes today to answer our latest survey, link below.

nil SURVEY

As you all know we have a Showroom/retail presence at 471 Adelaide Road, Berhampore and we love engaging with our customers and finding out what they need, want and how we can help them.

But do we do a great job on social media or through our EDMs (mailers)? Hmm I am not so sure. That has always been a hard one. We could make our engagement more personal. But I personally have never wanted to be the face (but probably vicariously the personality) of the brand online as I worry about all the trolls and the invasion into my private life. Although these rambles are quite a step for me in that direction. Many brand strategist and PR people have tried to get me to be the face and maybe they are right.

I think our strength is that we are great observers and listeners. We are often the first to bring new exciting eco products to the market as we observe and listen to the market beyond New Zealand. We also observe our macro environment from government polices to private enterprise sustainable initiatives. I like to also think we can be bold and fearless with the information we obtain.

 

Being bold and fearless after listening, observing and asking questions

When I am being bold and fearless are the times when I get the most excited. I feel alive. They are times when I feel the strongest. Often it is when I ignore what traditional society expects of me.

Below are some of the times we were bold and fearless in business and gosh it was exciting.

• Presenting at the Emmys and gifting our products to the stars in LA
• Contracting with China back in 2014 over the internet when at the time many people thought it was dangerous where I look back now and think it was racist!
• Going to our first export Expo in Sydney with only two suitcases to set up a stand and winning the Best Eco business of the show
• Meeting the Governor General for tea as a chosen impact business
• Self-publishing to then being picked up by a publisher to publish our second book
• Negotiating a deal in the middle east
• As one my lovely customers said the other day’ I remember Anna coming into my shop with her baby in her sling to see if I would sell her cookbook’. Yes baby and products together while selling in on 'sale and return' arrangements. To now selling in large retailers, supermarkets and overseas and my babies are no longer babies but young boys.
• Making over 200,000 facemasks during covid in 4 weeks
• Seeking out a financier that believed in what we were doing when the banks said no.
• Engaging directly from our tiny NZ office with large international supermarkets and retailers and getting ranged with them over larger brands
• Merging our two brands to ‘nil’

So I suppose my rambling today is to myself and to you all is to ‘Be bold, be fearless and feel that excitement of life. Be persuasive by listening, observing and continue to ask questions. Don’t argue but persuade with a paint brush not a sledgehammer. By being a good listener, being observant and asking questions to understand another is part of being a good human to those you love or connect with. But over to you as to how you then execute on being persuasive (follow Cialdini's steps of persuasion or the 6 P's, or the 4 P's – so many P's. Lol) but please be ethical with it.

Thanks for listening and please contribute to our survey. Link here again.

Anna xx
www.nilproducts.com
nil waste nil harm

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Help us help you.

We would be grateful if you would give us 2 minutes of your time and fill in our attached annual brand survey.

We like to know what you want, need and how we can improve.

Here is the link

Appreciated

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Embracing Sustainable Travel - Journey with a Purpose

Three tips for a more sustainable travel experience

Whether it’s choosing eco-friendly destinations, supporting local communities, or reducing carbon emissions, sustainable travel is about making mindful choices that contribute to the preservation of our planet. Here are some ways you can help:

 1. Bring your own bathroom products

In many hotels they offer you your own miniature shampoo and conditioner. If travelling around a lot, this can create a large amount of plastic waste with every bottle. To prevent this, try bringing the first bottle around with you so you don't have to open more bottles of product. If you have a specific product you use at home that you would like to bring on your travels, buy a small refill bottle before you leave. Now you can have your favourite shampoo and conditioner with you wherever you go!

I also like to save the miniature bottle from my most recent trip to refill and use again for the next holiday.

2. Offset your emissions

Air New Zealand offer a Voluntary Emissions Contribution Programme, where you can offset your carbon emission from your flight. It helps you to calculate your share of your flight's emissions and match those emissions with carbon credits purchased from certified international projects. In edition, half of your Voluntary Emissions Contribution will directly support projects that increase, protect and restore Aotearoa's unique and precious biodiversity.

Obviously this is a personal choice to make depending on how much your flight has already cost you, but when the opportunity's possible for you it is a great way to combat your flight emissions!

3. Bring what you have at home

When arriving at new places while travelling we often realise we have forgotten a lot of essentials! Instead of buying things you already own, think carefully about what you can bring before you leave. Instead of buying cotton makeup remover pads while away, bring something like our reusable 100% wool cotton pads with you. Or bring your own toothbrush from home so you won't have to repurchase! Our travel cutlery set is a great one to have on you so you don't need to use single use plastic cutlery.

 

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Never give up - July monthly ramble

Is this a good saying or not?

Some may say there are times when you should give up. But what does that really mean?  Giving up may just be a form of changing direction or pivoting. Is it just semantics? But I think not giving up is about trying your hardest so you have no regrets. I have no regrets.

I am currently coaching some business owners and there are many conversations about giving up or pivoting due to the economic recession we are currently in. I think back to the covid times for my current business, if we did not pivot by keeping our sewers busy with making masks we would not have thrived. We thrived over that period due to pivoting quickly. I recall at the time there was no way I was going to let all my hard work go to waste. I was in control of whether to give up or not. I do look back now and believe it was really down to my mindset.

I also recall when we first went into a recession I needed to pivot quickly and paid off an enormous amount of debt due to finding new sales channels, moving old stock, cutting costs to name a few things. It was also at a time when my personal life was taking a dive. But again it was a mind set along with getting fit and healthy as I needed to ensure my base line held me together. As well as seeking out people to help me and reading books like they were delicious lollies. I also wanted to ensure I kept my mind and heart open to new opportunities. And I do wonder when you are at your most vulnerable some of the best opportunities in the world present themselves.

Over those times when you are ready to give up, we can make emotional mistakes. One of mine was that I took my business to the market to try and sell it as I thought this would help my personal life. I met a number of buyers and one was our biggest competitor. Unfortunately being so naïve at that time I gave away far too much information and subsequently that competitor has taken to market a number of our R&D lines. So I will be much more careful if I ever want to sell again. Why did I take it off the market in the end, well, that is for another day.

I think times when you question whether you want to continue are times to knuckle down and do the hard graft. It is time to think creatively, think outside the box and YES ‘never give up’. It is a way of respecting oneself.

I have had people give up on me over my life. Well in fact one key person and it was completely devastating. But I knew that I would not give up as I am a silly optimist!! I truly believe there is always a way, you just need to find a different path. But this is only if you are true to your purpose. I have a close friend of mine that use to be a monk and he lives by purpose rather than values or identity. I do think all those concepts are tied up but if you know your greater purpose it allows you to get through all aspects of life. Yes there is more to unpack here but that is for later.

Lets be real, life is not always easy. Although I dispute the idea that life is hard or we are here to suffer. Quite frankly I find that insulting as it is not being grateful for life. I know many religious ideals are about suffering but really!?

So I think even if others give up on you, all that really matters, is if you don’t give up. So to all those retailers who are struggling out there don’t give up; pivot, try new things and then you might go down a different path. But that is not giving up, that is seizing a new exciting opportunity. For all those people who have had people give up on them, that is their issue not yours, you were the one that did not give up. That is what is important. That is self respect. Don’t give up. I like the saying. I am keeping it in my box of sayings.

Another little pivot we did recently was our rebrand in June. We love it and it was definitely the right thing to do. I have to admit it took me three years to get there with a number of business coaches pushing me along. Due to the rebrand we also launched a number of cleaning lines and we would love you to try them. Insert FREEBTABLETS to get a free tablet of your choosing ie glass, bathroom or kitchen cleaner when you buy our spray bottle. BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE (thanks Ron Popeil of Veg-o-matic)….when you write a review on our website we will give you even more tablets.

Till next time.
Anna
www.nilproducts.com
nil waste nil harm

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