Impute
Mike Markkula was an early mentor for Steve Jobs.
One of the things he told Jobs to pay close attention to was “impute” (awkward word but true sentiment). “Impute” means that everything about or around your product or service gives an indication, a feeling, of the product or service quality or the aura or personality it has. Everything about or around your product and service infers an image, evokes a feeling or judgment about it. Markkula knew that people do judge a book by its cover.
In his book “Blink”, Malcolm Gladwell talks about the judging and conclusions people make almost instantly when they see or experience something for the first time. This is true when you meet someone for the first time or walk into a store or see a product for the first time. The “impute” that we receive from people, products or places feed the judging and the decisions our minds are making in those first couple of seconds.
This doesn’t mean we are all irrational beings and come to conclusions or make decisions based on superficial indications, although sometimes that may be true. What this means is that we draw on past experiences, on the details, or lack thereof, and we can judge the level of quality of that product or service.
These “imputes” is what helps form your brand image in the minds of your audience. Paying attention to the type of “imputes” you are sending out is not only important but may be actual crucial for your business.
You do this right and you will stand out and get results.
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