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What Groucho Marx Taught Me About Community
Jack has been writing for print and web publications for more than 20 years, covering a wide range of topics including: Business, technology, parenting, politics, education, sports, and religion.
My computer ate what could have been the greatest guest post ever written for Spin Sucks. It was the sort of post that was better than Muellerific. It is no exaggeration to say that when it was lost, the angels wept and for a brief moment Lucifer lay down his pitchfork and bowed his head.
I know, some of you think that I am engaged in a bit of hyperbole. You wonder how I could say that it was the blogging equivalent of stealing fire from the gods and I shrug my shoulders. Instead of providing you with The Fast Times At Ridgemont High Guide To Time Management that I was planing to do, I’ll have to share something slightly different with you.
When my clients ask me to sum up my social media philosophy I share the following two quotes:
“I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.
“When you’re in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, ‘Damn, that was fun’.” — Groucho Marx
I don’t love them because I am irreverent and/or because they cater to my insouciant nature. I love them because they tell you what it is we should be doing in the blogosphere.
Be honest. Be authentic. Be transparent. Engage, interact, and engage some more. And most importantly, give back to others in an honest way.
You can call me unconventional but I believe in Building Your Community Around You.
The value proposition of your business is not your price or your quality. It is your people and the community that you build around you. If you compare your products to your competitor, I’d be willing to bet it will be difficult to differentiate on price or quality.
To motivate your customers to come see you, and to patronize your business, you build your community. You use the tools available (social media included) to show people who you are and to gather them around you.
Emerson’s comment is a reminder to open a dialogue with people, not to talk at them. The call-to-action is to invite people to engage and make them feel like you aren’t operating some cold corporate beast. It is about building community and asking them to feel like they can offer advice and/or criticism.
That is precisely where Groucho comes in. There is a method to the madness and sense in the slapstick. If you build your community around you, they will respond to your call to action. If you build your community around you, they will work with you to support and care for those within it.
Last but certainly not least: Never, ever forget to back up your work. 
Jack has a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from California State University at Northridge. He has been writing for print and web publications for more than 20 years, covering a wide range of topics including: business, technology, parenting, politics, education, sports, and religion. You read his blog TheJackB.
I have this really bad habit. I read all of the guest posts really early each morning and, by the time they publish at noon, I've forgotten that I didn't actually comment when I read it. So here I am! A day late and at least a dollar short.
I have to say, your use of Muellerific was quite amazing. I'm impressed and I think KenMueller should buy you a prize.
ginidietrich i did. you commented. it's the booby prize.
ginidietrich No worries. I like to think that I helped warm up the audience for 300 comments on a post about nothing. ;) KenMueller
TheJackB I don't think it's fair that you get a booby prize from KenMueller . I mean, you used it in a blog post AND very well!
ginidietrich Yeah well, at the moment I am the dwelling in the land of unfair and unreasonable so booby prizes are valued highly.KenMueller
TheJackB ginidietrich Gini is just jealous. I've never given her a booby prize or any prize, for that matter. Though I have let her be my friend, which should be prize enough.
G'Day Jack,
Years ago, some smart bloke, I can't remember who, told me, "Leon, people learn better when they're smiling. If you want to become a good trainer, give 'em a reason to smile."
Inspiration is where you find it. And to me, Groucho is an endless source of inspiration. Back in the 70s, I read a book about instructional design by the great Robert Mager. Each chapter started with an epithet. The one that appealed to me then, and you'll be delighted to know that it didn't "resonate" with me, was this: "If you're job isn't fun change your job."
I dunno whether Groucho had fun doing what he did. But It sure seemed like he did.
Make sure you have fun
Regards
Leon
Leon Leon, I couldn't agree more. I have spent plenty of time around the people who say that work is called work because it is not meant to be fun and I am tired of them.
I don't see any reason why we shouldn't strive to have fun with whatever we are doing. It makes everything more pleasant and in a work setting increases productivity levels.
Nice job, Jack.
How about this quote from Henny Youngman, repurposed just for you;
"Take my blog post- please."
The Franchise King®
FranchiseKing That is a good job of adjusting the quote to suit the purpose- I like it.
I'd love to see what Groucho, Chico and Harpo would have done with Twitter. Harpo, especially.
Great post.
Tried and true advice... love bringing Groucho into the mix here. How do we make the leap from "talking at" people to communicating in our own (and in turn, our brand's) conversational voice?
KenMoorhead I think that figuring out way to engage in a dialogue as opposed to broadcasting messages would go a long way.
I guess this is a pretty decent alternative to the greatest blog post ever written. You use some good quotes, and make some good points.
Not the least of which is to back up your work. I think I'm going to go ahead and do that right now :)
EugeneFarber The back up is so very important and usually not something that I ever get caught by. But this time "life happened" and so I scrambled to come up with something new.
It is part of the joy of technology.
Jack in the Spin Sucks house!
Great to read you here Jack.
Groucho was a comic genius. He used his art to get an emotion out of people and this is what your post just did. No to the cold corporate beasts :)
John Falchetto Groucho was phenomenal. If you read through his quotes there is a lot more than there than insults and humor.
I only wish that I could be as sharp. Well, I am working on it. Good things come to those who work, or so they tell me. ;)
Hey Jack, nice to see you over here! I love those two quotes, particularly the second one. I'm still working this social media thing out but I'm having a lot of fun here in the Blogosphere!
You write very well - it's why I visit your blog as often as I have time. Keep it up!
Lori
Lori Hi Lori,
It is nice to see you here too. I appreciate the kind words. I am a huge fan of Groucho so it was an easy quote to pick. Social media isn't complicated- it is really no different than being at a party or barbecue. Just be yourself and talk to people.
Mega points for your use of Muelleriffic!
Oh, and good post, too!
KenMueller As a writer I like discovering new words that I can use to expand my vocabulary. ;)
TheJackB KenMueller See Ken? dreams can come true! LOL.
Lisa Gerber TheJackB I can die happy now!
KenMueller I am going to add a new title to my list, something like Wizard of Dreams. Lisa Gerber
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