The recent news that Ben Affleck is the new Batman certainly caused an uproar on the Internet. Is he the right guy for the role, or should it have gone to someone else?
For that matter, what does it take to turn a regular person into a convincing superhero? For the most part, it just takes a superhero attitude. And you don’t need to put on a cape and fight crime in order to be like a superhero.
Here are five tips for your online business that come from the world’s most popular superheroes.
1. Be local like Spider-Man
After being bitten by a radioactive spider, Peter Parker decided to fight crime and do good as The Amazing Spider-Man. But no matter how popular Spidey gets, he never forgets the people of his hometown; hence his nickname “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.”
You can apply this philosophy too. Just because your business is online, it’s still great make that local connection. Let people know where you’re located, even if you don’t have a physical store. This gives your customers a better sense of who you are. People tend to feel more comfortable dealing with someone who lives in their area.
2. Be humble like Superman
People the world over know Superman. He’s the world’s first superhero, a shining embodiment of humanity’s greatest ideals.
But you’d never know it if you just talked to him. Because Superman spends his time doing good deeds, not talking about them. Your online business should take this approach: instead of focusing on the “hard sell,” where you spend all your time touting your abilities, let your work do the talking for you.
If you do good work, people will notice.
3. Be fast like the Flash
Barry Allen is The Fastest Man Alive, an ability he uses to fight evil as a member of the Justice League. While your customers certainly don’t expect you to be as fast as The Flash, they do expect a certain level of swift response.
Orders should be filled and shipped out quickly. Emails should be responded to within 24 hours. There are certain expectations of quickness that apply to online business that don’t apply to brick and mortar stores. After all, your customers are spread across the globe, so the idea of “business hours” doesn’t exactly apply anymore. Strive to be as fast and “Flash-like” as you can.
4. Enlist help like The Arrow
DC Comics’ The Green Arrow was re-imagined as The Arrow in the hit CW TV show. The first season of the show primarily dealt with Oliver Queen’s transformation from billionaire playboy to costumed vigilante.
Part of that process involved recruiting teammates, such as his partner Diggle and his computer expert Felicity. It’s a good lesson to apply to your online business, too. Don’t try to do everything yourself. If you encounter someone with skills that complement yours, try to partner up. It can be a win-win-win for you, your partner, and your customers.
5. Bounce back like Wolverine
He’s the best there is at what he does. Part of the reason Wolverine is such an effective superhero is because of his regenerative abilities, which enable him to heal quickly from any injury. And while your online business is unlikely to get shot at or stabbed, there are going to be days when nothing seems to go right.
That’s okay. Because you can get through those days by thinking like Wolverine. No matter what happens today, tomorrow you’ll begin anew. It’s a great attitude to have when the rough times happen.
Practice it and soon you, too, will be the best there is at what you do.