The Zen of Digital Marketing

Starting with an Empty Cup.

Shoshin is a concept from Zen Buddhism, meaning beginner’s mind. It refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions.

The practice of Shoshin acts as a counter to the hubris and closed-mindedness often associated with thinking of oneself as an expert, including the Einstellung Effect, the negative impact previous experiences have when solving new problems. The word shoshin is a combination of sho (Japanese: 初), meaning “beginner” or “initial,” and shin (Japanese: 心), meaning “mind.”

When meeting a new client for the first time, I purposely do a minimal amount of preliminary research to avoid bringing any preconceptions to the table.

I refer to it as starting with an Empty Cup…

I do a minimal amount of preliminary research when I meet a new client. I want to hear directly from the horse’s mouth, as it were, and not bring any preconceptions to the table. If they were happy with what they were already doing, they wouldn’t have called me in the first place. 

I also don’t initially check in on what the competition is up to. First, we don’t know if it works for them. Second, at this stage, I’d prefer to focus on MY client and the work we are about to do. We have yet to determine what we are doing; why confuse the issue by dragging the competition into it?

Not surprisingly, most companies look at their website from the inside out, bringing their experiences and attitudes to the project. A new visitor to the website is usually looking to fill a specific need—a product, service, or piece of information. You don’t want to get in the way of them finding what they need.

I start by putting myself in the shoes of their customers. I want to experience the existing website, social media, advertising, and coffee mug, for that matter, with a completely open mind.

I’m a blank canvas, a clean slate, a fresh pair of eyes.

Also, I find many new clients are eager to jump into the fun side of the project —photos, video, fonts, headlines, and text. Before getting “creative,” my process starts with an in-depth, getting-to-know-you interview where I ask such questions as:

• What prompted you to seek our services?
• Can you provide an overview of your company/organization and its main activities?
• What specific challenges or problems are you currently facing?
• What are your short-term and long-term goals?
• Who are your target customers or audience?
• How do you now measure success or evaluate your performance?
• What resources (financial, human, tech) are available to support our work?

With that information in hand, I submit a report that covers where the client is, where they want to be, and how we will get there. The empty cup is now full with a blueprint for moving forward with deliverable and achievable goals.

See for yourself, and schedule a free initial consultation. Email me at michael@pillacm.com.