Singing alone or along?

This morning my daughter was in her room, warbling away at a song of her own spontaneous composition. It was lovely to hear her, although her young voice and creative phrasing were definitely most appealing to the parental unit I am. At one point she paused, and said to anybody who might be listening, "I sing like Ariel!" Then it was back to the warbling, wandering ways of her tune.

And it struck me, to her ear, the melody was pitch-perfect and solid. To me, the daddly dude, her notes were often off, and yet adorably entertaining. To the casual passer-by, she was likely "cute" but a long way from Disney animated classic stuff.

What's the insight? Think about your business or your brand... How do you perceive it? How do your customers perceive it? How do potential customers perceive it? When was the last time you went out and asked others what they think of it?

In this time of economic challenge, we are all trying to find that one thing or the million little things that add up to the one thing that will make a difference. We want to succeed. Sometimes, it's as easy as recognizing that what sounds pitch-perfect and solid to us could do with some improving in the eyes or ears of our customers.

So, keep singing, like my daughter, but pay attention to the reception you're getting from other folks. You might just find they sing along!