Winners Throw the First Punch: The Fine Line Between a Complaint and a Bragging Point—Quick Lesson for You from the Disparaged Apple iPhone4…
I was just reading the blog of my friend Chuc Barnes, who has a great post in support of the iPhone4 and Apple in general.
You’ve probably heard by now about the reception problems some users have experienced with their new generation phones, and I was fascinated by something Chuc had in his post: The complaint rate is just .55%! So this got me to thinking…
Consider this: Whether it’s a fist-fight, a political scandal, or a problem with a new product, he who is first to the draw has the advantage. In this case, the news of the iPhone4 problems came fast and furious through media reports, blogs, and top-of-the-hour news spots. Buried deep in stories like this one was the truth of the infinitesimal fail rate.
And let me ask you this: What would have been the result if Apple had gotten in front of this from the outset and issued a press release headlined: “Apple iPhone4 Users Enjoying 99.45% Reception!”
Hey, a success rate of 99.45% is overwhelmingly good for ANY product! Maybe you remember the old Trident slogan, “4 out of 5 dentists surveyed would recommend sugarless gum to their patients who chew gum.” They were bragging about an 80% success rate (and notice it doesn’t even say dentists recommend Trident specifically… but they knew casual listeners would no doubt infer this to be an endorsement of Trident anyway!).
Back in June the big news was the “failure” of the iPhone4 during Steve Jobs’ on-stage demonstration. When I heard about it, I had to see the video—being a speaker myself, I couldn’t imagine how difficult and embarassing that must have been, and I was curious to see how Jobs handled the snafu.
But when I watched the FULL video (you see it above), the explanation was revealed… it wasn’t a failure of the iPhone per se as reports led us to believe, it was a connectivity issue caused by over 500 other devices in the room sucking up the bandwidth! After he ordered everyone to shut off their devices… what do you know, success!
So the big news was “iPhone4 Fails in Jobs’ Demonstration”… while the true (and innocuous) explanation went unmentioned.
Would the media use deception? Are you kidding! Always beware: They revel in disaster, failure, and spectacle. To find these things when they doesn’t exist, they morph into masters of selective sensationalism to achieve the lurid effect.
Anyway, Steve Jobs and Apple have had a bittersweet Summer. Success and failure often come in a package, have you noticed? And like I said in my comment on Chuc’s blog, “The bigger you get, the bigger your target gets”. (And that means the target on your back, not the one you’re shooting.)
Oh, and here’s a tip if you want to know how to persuade others: Remember the power of words. They matter. Why? Because they guide thought. Used cleverly, and with a little strategy, the thoughts and opinions of others can be gently moved simply by knowing how to say things in just the right way… and sometimes merely by being the first to say them.
So the next time you have to deal with something controversial, embarassing, or detrimental, consider being the first to address it. Because few people are totally honesty when the issue is harmful to them, you’ll be given great credit.
There’s power in being first to the draw… because the first punch often decides the fight.
Leave your thoughts in a comment if you like, thanks for reading…
-jef
Tags: Marketing, persuasion
Hi Jef, and I thought you were going to point out which was a lie, and which wasn’t, in his press conference! =)
You are correct, whoever punches first wins. I know this from experience, some of it had something to do with not getting a ticket from a cop hahaha…
Was it really Apple though, who was first? Or was it the collective complaints of users and Consumer Reports?
Yes, Steve Jobs said the complaint rate is .55% > this is the rate of people who have come forward. Many haven’t, and every iPhone owner I asked (4 out of 4) like the product and finally admitted problems. It’s interesting, because iPhone owners are proud. And for a while I have been thinking of switching to an iPhone, especially now that I want to do social media services on the side. Before the iPhone 4 came out my question has always been the signal of AT & T and the constant answer i get is “i’m happy with my iPhone.” And these answers were never enough for me. Enter iPhone 4, i’m already not caring about reception. Then finally, after the Consumer Report came out, people i know gave in and admitted problems… including one guy who, heard about the antenna problems the day before he went to the Apple store at 4 a.m.
I do believe that what really ’saved’ Jobs in the eyes of his customers is a history of customer satisfaction and engagement. Everyone knows that no one is perfect and so do Apple customers. And we take the bad with the good (i have a MacBook). It’s Steve Jobs’ credibility that won in the eyes of his loyal customers. Did he make the first punch? I don’t know, how do you define that? Is it seemingly him because of his status?
For example: Clinton-Lewinsky. Who punched first and who won? In my eyes they are both damaged, and Bill Clinton has the advantage because of his status in society…. In a workplace scenario, do you think a clerk will win if she punches first in a sexual harassment situation vs. the CEO?
Darn this is getting long again.
Is there hope for the underdog? the ‘victims’? the guilty? I’ll just keep this in mind what you said: Remember the power of words. They matter. Why? Because they guide thought.
>>> http://gizmodo.com/5587815/top-apple-engineer-warned-jobs-about-antenna-problems?skyline=true&s=i
At the end of the day, it’s the innovator who wins everybody’s respect.
hey Jeannie… you’re right, Apple was NOT first to the punch… don’t know for sure that they actually had the chance to be here, but it’s a good scenario to visualize the possibilities of them being first to the draw, defining the issue—rather than having it defined.
You’re right on, the ACTUAL problems are much higher that the complaints. Rule of thumb is, for every piece negative feedback there’s 30 that don’t bother! But Apple had a .55% complaint rate, and they could have legitimately used that to their advantage… that was the stat.
Land Rover has one of the worst mechanical records out there… so why do people buy them? To be seen. Because they like the looks. Heck, I love ‘em myself. Go to Beverly Hills, every 5th thing moving is a LR. People replicate what others are doing. Emotion always trumps logic. A lot of people want to have the new iPhone. Period. They won’t be dissuaded by a reception glitch. (And probably shouldn’t be.)
Clinton and Lewinski? You’re gonna drag me there, Jeannie!? Lewinsky punched first… Clinton was damaged, he did get impeached didn’t he (and aquitted by the Senate). Still AMAZING he kept a presidency together, and continues to have stature somehow.
During presentations I have some talking points on the Clinton thing… no time here, but it’s good stuff, lots of teaching points in that mess.
And the underdog… does he/she have a chance? Always.
Thanks for your thoughts Jeannie, good stuff!
(go get yourself that iPhone!)
The Innovator. That person sets what others will replicate, right?
Dead on again Jeannie!
Oh, and Jeannie… I have 2 cell phones, one ATT and one Sprint… the ATT phone has worked in remote areas of Wyoming, Utah, NM, Colorado, and everywhere else I’ve been… even at Hermit Walt’s mountain hideaway! …and everywhere the Sprint phone has NO signal. ATT means nothing to me, other than the coverage is excellent… my experience, for what it’s worth.
yay thanks!!! iPhone soon =) someday! Rushing…
@aplusk blows up a helicopter with an iphone… in this movie http://jasonpollock.tv/2010/06/watch-the-killers-premiere-the-first-13-minutes-of-the-film/
Go Ashton! Is that an app we can buy?
What if the punch didn’t feel like one?
Feel like one to who? The thower or the receiver? Perspective is everything…
Receiver. Does that mean the receiver is over confident? Not that I am disregarding it… It’s just not killing me and nothing will.