Early in my career, I spent time as a professional photographer. Yes, we used film then. Kodachrome was the best available and Kodak was still the great yellow god in Rochester.
Times change and now they're about to file for bankruptcy.
While the players, tools and technology may be different the foundation principles of photography are still the same. Pick interesting subject matter. Pay attention to lighting, composition, exposure. Help the viewer understand the subject by the way you frame it: long-shot, medium-shot, close-up. When you think you're already close enough, take another step forward - unless standing on the rim of a steep drop.
And in all of this don't forget to focus. Unless you have some artsy reason not to, focus is essential for all of the other factors work. Back in the age of film, (this is where my kids would say: "When dinosaurs ruled the earth...") if someone made a goof, you might hear them say "we can fix it in the darkroom". Today the darkroom is photo-shop. But if the original is fuzzy, there's not much help in the darkroom - film or digital.
Focus, of course, is important in more than pictures. As we make our plans for 2012, we have a range of options, but ultimately, focus is essential for business success. That means we need to decide what to focus upon.
Let's go back to long-shot, medium-shot, close-up. During dozens of partner interviews during Q4, it became clear to me that we don't adequately help our partners in their business decisions by properly framing the value of some EMC opportunities and most importantly, how the particular relates to the whole. We tend to go straight to the extreme close-ups and assume that the long-shot, medium-shot are understood.
But the partner frame of reference is quite different from ours. While we have a large portfolio - 13 product categories and 46 product families - they typically deal with products from many sources that multiply these numbers exponentially. What they most want - initially at least - is information framed at a wide-angle view - a long shot.
They also want an approach that helps find the best answer to a customer puzzle and not just one or a few puzzle pieces.
One partner asked for the "three questions a sales person can ask to identify an opportunity". Frame the customer puzzle.
Another requested "just the elevator pitch and a pointer to easily consumable details when the next stage arrives". Learn enough to begin identifying puzzle pieces.
In essence they are asking us to frame what problems EMC solves. Then they want the short story, some positioning, a value proposition, target markets and profitability profile. All done in a short-form consumable way.
If more is needed they'll get it on the second pass after a customer shows interest.
Then they can reframe and re-focus.
For EMC, that means sharpening the relationship of specific technologies and concepts to partner business opportunities - cloud or otherwise. It means that we clearly and simply present the partner business value with specific examples.
It means we don't start with a close-up but ultimately get both partners and customers to want those great close-ups we offer.