For the last two days, we’ve been talking about the contrast of Makers with Takers and Breakers.  But there’s another group that are worth contrasting with Makers:  the Fakers.

Jim Ewel at the Agile Marketing blog interacts with the idea of Makers, Takers, and Fakers.  In applying these distinctions to marketing, he associates Takers with the internet push marketers who design their websites to efficiently attract massive numbers of visitors and squeeze a sale.  The Fakers, meanwhile, he identifies with the Mad Men era of marketing in the 50s – all image, no substance.  All story, no reality.

That gets at what the Fakers are all about: appearance.

Fakers talk up their accomplishments, though investigation shows their talk to be fog and wind.

Fakers present an image that is carefully crafted, but it is a thin veneer that hides a messy reality.

Fakers give the illusion of being Makers, but in the end they deliver little results.

At one time or another, perhaps we’ve had to take on the mantle of Faker.  Roger Mader gives us this interesting perspective that a healthy application of the Faker role is that of the storyteller:  “They spin yarns about how the future might work. And in so doing, when equipped with smart, dedicated teams, they can often help to bring about that future.”

The real question is “do you do anything more than talk?”  If there’s no action, no movement, no dynamism that comes as a result of the talk and the image and the story, then it’s mere bluster and hokum.

So, this pushes us to ask, are you a Maker or are you a Faker?  How do you spend the majority of your time?

Russell

Was this encouraging, interesting, or helpful?  Let me know in the comments below.  Also, please share with your friends.  And, if you haven’t done so, be sure to sign up for my newsletter – you’ll get a regular dose of inspiration and encouragement in your inbox.