The original title of this blog was, “Congress Sucks – Because of Me!” and it was all about how as a moderate, I don’t make my voice heard.

Then a conversation with my son Dan, got me thinking… actually our members of congress are AWESOME!…

…at MARKETING!

I’ve missed it until now, and I’m feeling pretty dumb about it.

What is the most powerful, most fundamental element of marketing? Find and cultivate a sustainable niche. And what do members of Congress do? “Appeal to their base.” Yup. I’ve been criticizing them for “pandering to the crazies.” Guess what? As a “moderate,” I’m not their customer. They aren’t trying to sell to me. Do we chastise Tesla for appealing to an upscale, image oriented audience? Do we scream at Walmart for focusing on low prices? No – we call them smart, savvy, and focused. Our elected officials are doing what any excellent marketer does – focusing on their customer – those who help them get elected. Improved governance requires that moderates figure out how to make ourselves seen as desired customers of our members of Congress.

In the meantime, perhaps we can at least learn marketing from them.

I love movies with lessons.  “Sully,” brilliantly staring Tom Hanks, is about the pilot who in 2009 successfully performed an emergency landing on the Hudson River, saving all 155 passengers.  Aside from the landing itself, the drama was about the NTSB’s questioning of Captain Sullenberger’s decision to land on the river and not at a nearby airport.  The strongly implied accusation was that Sully had made the wrong decision, needlessly endangering the lives of the passengers and costing a plane.

As I watched, I felt awful for Sully, who under the inquiry, began to doubt himself, and the doubt became escalating fear that maybe they were right.  The deep dread of self-doubt – that gut-wrenching feeling – is one of the most deeply painful human emotions.  I’ve had it too many times.

I saw two business leadership and life lessons in this movie:

First, it’s hard to think clearly, to solve rather than crumple, in the midst of self-doubt – Sully did that, and through his regained composure, managed the situation.

Second, it’s tempting to harshly judge our decisions and those of others. Yes, let’s evaluate.  Then let’s temper the judgment, recognizing that only people who put themselves into situations of gravitas can make decisions that prove to be important.

(Dave Signature)

Note: some disagreed about the depiction of the NTSB in “Sully.”

In my interview with Chuck Morris of AEG Live @AEGPresents, Chuck, himself in the business for 49 years, said that bands like the Eagles and Doobie Brothers @TheDoobieBros ‏are “doing better than ever!”

That got me thinking:  Why?  What makes a band with members now in their 60s continue to thrive, appealing to original fans, and attracting huge new audiences in their 20s and 30s?

Chuck Morris’s answer: “they are GREAT bands!” Certainly, and I think there’s more.  These bands provide experiences that make us happy in a simple way that resonates deep within us.  In contrast, we live much of our lives deeply immersed in technology, which while needed and appreciated, puts us in an unsettled state, one in which we feel constantly interrupted, even frenetic at times.

The engagement we feel in a live concert by a great band is a reminder that to pierce through today’s cacophony of noise to captivate another’s attention is possible – others want to engage in deep and gratifying ways, and they’ll do so if our message and our manner is compelling.

As a guy who’s built a career on developing customer relationships, I’m wondering, how can I adapt my approach in business to cut through the noise, and create a feeling of grounded happiness for my customers?  Maybe I’ll play a little Earth, Wind & Fire as I start my next pitch.