Portland’s Whuffie Trail Blazers


If you’re checking this article to see what I’m implying about Portland’s NBA team, the Trail Blazers, you’re going to be disappointed. This isn’t about basketball; it’s about a remarkable quality I’ve discovered in the Portland (PDX) business culture. It falls under a category trend setters in New Media Marketing are calling Whuffie. With the “remarkable quality” I mentioned, PDX has become quite a trend setter, itself, with Whuffie – i.e., Whuffie Trail Blazers.


Before going on, for those of you who’ve never heard of Whuffie (I heard it for the first time, myself, just over two weeks ago, through my friend, Janet Lee Johnson), let me tell you what it is, if I haven’t lost you already. In short, Whuffie is sort of the net worth a person or group builds up in Social Capital. The word “Whuffie” actually comes from a Sci-Fi book entitled “Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom”, by Cory Doctorow. Credit for the application of the word “Whuffie” to Social Capital seems to go to Tara Hunt, the Author of a book entitled “The Whuffie Factor”. For a more in depth understanding of Whuffie, check out Tara’s blog post entitled “You can’t eat Whuffie (but it’s getting harder to eat without it)”.

With all that said, my purpose with this article isn’t to educate you about Whuffie. It’s to give PDX kudos for its “Whuffie Factor” and to encourage Sales people and Sales organizations to be mindful of building their net worth in this regard.

First, let me tell you a bit about my discovery of PDX’s “Whuffie Factor”. When we relocated to PDX, from Southern California, four years ago, I discovered several traits of the PDX business community and its culture, that were different than I had anticipated. One of these aspects was the PDX employment base. It wasn’t as strong as I had expected and of course, as the once bustling streets of downtown PDX have taken on more of a look of a ghost town, that’s become an even more significant factor.

However, the most significant difference I found in the PDX marketplace, versus what I had expected, was the importance of a good network of local business contacts. I started coming into PDX on business in the mid 1980s and I thought I had an understanding of the business community when we decided to move here. I discovered that I was wrong and that having a good network of local business contacts was critical. At first, I was a bit anxious about recognizing my lack in this regard. In addition to surprises in the business community, I was also taken aback by realities I found in PDX in general that didn’t match up well with several of my most important personal beliefs. Especially since I’m pretty transparent about my beliefs, I was concerned that the business community might spurn me and keep me from building the needed network of business connections. I’m thankful to say that I was wrong about that too. It’s not uncommon to hear the PDX marketplace described as being provincial. That’s true to some degree but mostly it’s true with the positive characteristics of “provincial”. If you’re willing to be a member of the PDX business community who looks out for its other members and the health of the business community in general, PDX will not only welcome you as a member, it will help you to become one. In general, that is the “Whuffie Factor” I discovered in PDX.

The specifics Tara Hunt uses to define Whuffie include:

Do well by doing good.

Think Customer-centrically.

Help others go further.

Spread love.

Value something bigger.

That sounds significantly different from the clichéd business/Sales model of WIIFM (What’s In It For Me), doesn’t it? At first, I thought that Whuffie might be WIIFM’s selfless, diametric opposite. But, though it is somewhat opposite, it isn’t selfless. In fact I think it’s fair to say that Whuffie turns out to be an extension of WIIFM, with Whuffie as a vehicle for securing WIIFM. But, if I’m right, it at least gets you out of the mode of exclusively considering WIIFM by first getting you involved in WIIFO (What’s In It For Others). Regardless of what you call it and I’m fine with calling it Whuffie, I’m thankful for it. It’s the common ground PDX made available for me to connect and become a part.

So, hats off to PDX for nurturing this remarkable quality. I’ve been a part of two other major business communities and I’ve had the opportunity to observe countless business communities throughout the northern hemisphere. In this regard, PDX stands head and shoulders above any other marketplace I’ve known. I’m pleased, then, to be a part of it and to proudly say, “I am one of Portland’s Whuffie Trail Blazers.”

With that in mind, I want to close by encouraging you to be mindful of Whuffie for yourself, as a Sales person and for your Sales organization. Tara Hunt says that with Whuffie, “The more you give away, the more you get.” I can’t think of a better attitude for you to take in engaging with your business community.

Comments
 
sharrypdx Says:


June 6, 2009 at 4:28 pm edit

Welcome to the community Gary. You are a VALUABLE asset . . . conservative opinions and all!



Sean Harry

Anne B Says:


June 7, 2009 at 7:41 pm edit

To really understand the power of Whuffie in building your business, I recommend reading Tara Hunt’s “Whuffie Factor”.



I agree – Pdx is a welcoming community if you are ready to put in before you take out!