Here’s the thing: to say this is long overdue is like saying BP took a little too long to fix the gulf oil spill. I confess, I’ve slacked off on wrapping up my Optimization Summit reviews from March. Most people would probably just have killed the idea at this point, but what I haven’t shared with you yet is simply too good not to get out there, regardless of timing. So, we’ll carry on, wayward sons.

Up next is Mack Collier’s presentation, Think Like a Rockstar. I had heard of Mack before, so I was looking forward to the presentation from the beginning. Mack packed his presentation with more case studies than most Lasik surgeons can throw at you at their “get to know us” seminars, and I loved ‘em. More than that, though, was that his rockstar analogy really sticks. It’s one of those analogies that doesn’t just clarify a topic; it illuminates it.

You can check out Mack’s entire Think Like a Rock Star presentation here (or embedded below).

So, without further adieu, here are my biggest takeaways from Mack’s presentation. I’d love your input. Oh, and if you’re interested in seeing Mack in person, be sure to register soon for the September sessions of Optimization Summit coming in mid September 2010. Here’s a discount code if you’re interested.

Why do rock stars have fans, and companies have customers?

Man, does that question make your marketing molars rattle or what? Rock stars NEVER have customers. It’d be silly to even think of fans that way. Mack explained the following:

• Rock stars are fans themselves. They’re fans of their own music, and they’re fans music that they’re fans also like. It’s a great example of nurturing the common ground. Mack quoted Willie Davidson of Harley Davidson who said “We’re in constant contact with our customers; we ride with them all the time.”
• Rock stars look for ways to shift control to their fans. They hand over the reins and let the people have at it. The Beastie Boys did this in 2004 with their concert flick ‘Awesome we F’n shot that.’ (Read the full details behind this – it’s greatness).
• Rock stars find the bigger idea. They move the focus from “me” to the stories, emotions and issues that matter to their fans. Sarah MacLaughlin’s World on Fire video is an excellent example of leveraging the medium and the process and making them a part of the actual message.

Mack explained a lot more in his workshop. So much so that I finally gave up on taking notes and just sat back and enjoyed the ride, knowing his presentation would be available online. Which is what you can see below.

The key idea here is that we have to shift our paradigm in how we think of our customers. They are equal parts consumer, distributor and partner. They are our fans. When you think of them that way, everything else seems to line itself right into place.

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