The weeks leading up to the end of the year are always full of TV shows coming to an end.
In addition to a drama series of, say, 12 parts we have the added excitement of reality television.
Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor are approaching their finale, I am a Celebrity finished last week, and The Apprentice has two more shows to go. The most interesting part for me towards the end of these shows is where we start to understand more about the contestants as people.It is their authenticity which is on show after we see how they perform their task.
In”Strictly” so often a poor dancer is kept in the show by the public simply because they warm to him or her. That is the ingredient that non-dance specialists can see. Most of us can’t tell a tango from a foxtrot, but we can tell if we like the person, if they get on with their dancing partner, and if they are attractive.
In” I am a Celebrity” I am always more responsive to someone who does not like all those bugs but does the task anyway. Oh yes and they should’t rant about others behind their backs.
In” X Factor” we know that it is not always the best singers who win. Even more to the point those who don’t win can often do well in their career after In contrast, the contestants often simply express gratitude for the experience and that they felt it was good even though they did not stay to the bitter end.
These shows thrive on
- Scarcity
- Definitive timeline with a deadline
- Authenticity (or not) of those involved.
All these are relevant for small businesses, too. Scarcity doesn’t have to be some faked thing, it can genuinely reflect the fact that you only want to work with a certain number of people. The defined timeline is a great aid to getting people on board – it can help them make a decision, and helps you to punctuate your activities. To start a campaign, to end one. Of course authenticity is the big opportunity for a small business. We don’t have to pretend to be something we are not. Who we are is probably perfect!
My favourite Apprentice show is always the interviews. It seems that the candidates make up all kinds of stories on their cv and the rather dour interviewers ask very simple questions and the contestants walk happily into some kind of trap. I can’t wait for next week’s show!