As this is being typed, I am watching the 1954 classic,
White Christmas; I love that movie.
You may remember that toward the beginning, the characters played by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye are brought to a dinner show under false pretenses by two sisters, one of whom is looking for “a little free advice”.
This ends up with a very spirited conversation about “people working angles”… yeah, it seems it wasn’t all that popular with the folks fifty years ago either.
Merriam-Webster defines this type of “angle” as “an often improper or illicit method of obtaining advantage.”
No doubt there are still people out there marketing their products by working their angles; but things are changing.
In fact, I think the more angles people work today, the less money they’ll have in their pocket tomorrow. That’s just the way it is…
People don’t like people who work angles.
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I find that people who do work angles tend to work angles often. They are “angle workers”, going from one angle to the next.
As marketers, most often they work their angles with new customers. This is primarily because their current customers soon become former customers… and their former customers tend not to come back.
Angle workers don’t seem to have much repeat business. In fact, the lack of repeat business may very well indicate the presence of angles.
Yeah…, I’m glad I watched this movie tonight. Thanks Bing.
Principles:
People don’t like working with people who work angles.
Angles are short term.
Question:
How do you feel when you sense someone working angles with you?
I look forward to speaking with you.
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