The all-time worst concert I ever had the displeasure of attending was The Black Eyed Peas. I saw them in LA with a girlfriend at the time. It was excruciatingly bad especially during a long stint where no one played an instrument but rather, a “musician” used a computer to generate electronic beats.

Fast forward to a couple of days ago when former Blacked Eyed Peas band member, Fergie of “Fergilious” fame, butchered the National Anthem at the NBA All-Star Game. The “artist” tried to turn to turn the song into one of sultry seduction.

The NBA players, tried as they might, could not help but giggle. Charles Barkley had the best comment of the night when he quipped, “I needed a cigarette after that.”

Fergie was more concerned about how she would come across than she was about her audience. But she is not alone.

Most entrepreneurs focus on telling prospects how excellent there product or service is instead about what their product or service will do for their customer.

Your audience doesn’t give a whit about you, at least not initially. They only care about how your product will solve a problem they have.

It’s cliche, but we needed to be reminded of it. Our customers’ favorite radio station is WIIFM. “What’s In It For Me.”

Look at your marketing and your pitches. Are they about you or about how you can solve your customers’ problems?

Gotta catch a train to Parma.

Dave “Music Critic Extraordinaire” Dee

P.S. Instead of showing you a video of Fergie’s disgraceful performance, here is Marvin Gaye showing the youngin’s how it’s done.