Shift Happens: Why Smarter Business Strategies Start with Stopping

The New Reality of Global Competition

We are living in a world of change. Shift happens—faster than ever before. Today, competition comes from all over the world, and that global pressure means many American businesses are in serious trouble. The rules of the game have changed, yet many organizations continue to operate as if nothing has happened.

The Problem with Traditional Marketing

Many decisions being made inside companies today are not only illogical but also contrary to good business sense. Worse, they actively undermine customer loyalty. Most organizations treat marketing as an exercise in figuring out what new actions to take—what promotions, discounts, or campaigns will convince current or potential customers to spend more dollars with them.

But what if that approach is backward?

A Radical New Approach: Start Stopping

I am suggesting a fundamentally different strategy. Instead of constantly thinking about what to do, consider this: figure out what to stop doing. In other words, stop doing the “stupid stuff.”

What Does “Stupid Stuff” Mean?

Not doing the stupid stuff means identifying everything that prevents customers from spending money with you. It means finding every frustrating policy, every unnecessary hurdle, every annoying charge—and making sure that action or reaction never happens again.

This is not about adding more. It is about subtracting friction. It is about customer retention through the simple act of removing obstacles.

Real-World Example #1: Airlines Penalizing Customers

Here is a perfect example of what I call stupid stuff. Some airlines now want to charge customers simply for speaking to a live agent. Let that sink in.

Why This Policy Is Self-Destructive

This decision is stupid in two distinct ways:

Penalizing loyalty: The airline has chosen to penalize customers who want to continue receiving what they have always received—basic, one-on-one attention from a human being.
Framing as an upgrade: Worse, they have done so by announcing that they will charge more for this previously standard level of service. What was once normal is now a premium.

The Consequence: Lost Customers

How many customers will they lose because of this decision? I know of at least one—me. Multiply that by thousands, and you begin to understand the real cost of stupid stuff. When you charge for service that customers expect to be free, you are not increasing revenue. You are destroying customer loyalty.

Real-World Example #2: The Wheaties Box Controversy

There are more subtle—but no less damaging—examples of stupid things businesses need to stop doing. Take, for instance, the case of Wheaties boxes and the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team.

What Happened?

General Mills recently introduced special Wheaties boxes featuring photos of U.S. Olympic gold medalists. However, one gold medalist was conspicuously missing: Paul Hamm.

Why? Paul Hamm was the first American man to win the Olympic all-around gymnastics championship—and he did so in one of the sport’s greatest comebacks. After a disastrous fall, he delivered a near-perfect high-bar routine that won near-universal praise. For most of us, that performance defined the word champion.

The Company’s Official Response

Here was General Mills’ official response to my inquiry:

“Selecting a Wheaties Champion has never been an easy task, especially when we have witnessed so many outstanding performances by so many championship athletes. But it simply isn’t possible to honor every champion on the Wheaties box.”

The Real Reason: Fear of Controversy

But that explanation does not hold up. They left off the first U.S. man to win this title. Why? There was controversy. A South Korean gymnast claimed that a scoring error cost him the gold and appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The court eventually ruled that Hamm could keep the gold medal.

Even though the medal was disputed, the dispute was not because of anything Hamm did or did not do. He competed fairly and won.

The Cost of Playing It Safe

Still, General Mills decided to do the “safe” thing. By being safe and leaving Hamm off the Wheaties box, the company is:

Alienating millions of customers who see Hamm not as controversial, but as a hero.
Losing customers in the process.
Demonstrating a profound misunderstanding of brand loyalty.

That, too, is stupid stuff.

What Businesses Should Stop Doing Today

So here is my challenge to every business owner, manager, and marketer: start stopping. Begin by eliminating these common but destructive practices.

Stop Saying “No”

Stop saying “No” to customers and start using the word “Yes.” Train your staff to find solutions, not obstacles. A “no” is a lost sale. A “yes” builds customer loyalty.

Stop Charging for Free Services

Stop charging for services that most of us think are free. If a service was standard last year, raising it to a premium this year will only frustrate your customer base. Instead, find creative ways to add value without penalizing customers.

Stop Ignoring Customer Frustration

Find out what exasperates, discourages, hassles, or confuses your customers—and stop it. Conduct surveys. Read complaints. Listen to call center recordings. Every piece of customer frustration is a roadmap to a better business.

A Practical Framework for Stopping the Stupid Stuff

To help you implement this strategy, here is a simple, repeatable framework.

Step 1: Identify the Friction Points

Map your customer journey from first contact to post-purchase support. At every step, ask: What is preventing customers from spending money with us? Be brutally honest.

Step 2: Prioritize by Impact

Not all stupid stuff is equal. Prioritize changes that will:

Affect the largest number of customers
Cause the most frustration
Take the least effort to fix

Step 3: Test and Remove

For one week, stop doing one stupid thing. Measure the results. Did complaints drop? Did sales increase? Then move to the next item.

Step 4: Build a Culture of Stopping

Make “what should we stop doing?” a regular agenda item in team meetings. Reward employees who identify and eliminate stupid stuff. Over time, this becomes a competitive advantage.

The Bottom Line: Customer Loyalty Is Earned by Subtraction

Most businesses focus on adding—more features, more channels, more rules. But customer loyalty is often best earned by subtracting—removing fees, eliminating red tape, and restoring common sense.

Global competition is not going away. American businesses that thrive will be those that understand a simple truth: Shift happens. But how you respond to that shift is entirely within your control.

Stop doing the stupid stuff. Start winning back your customers—one removed frustration at a time.

Final Thought: One Customer Lost Is One Too Many

The airlines that charge for live agents may save a few dollars in call center costs. But they lose something far more valuable: trust. The Wheaties decision may have avoided a minor controversy, but it alienated millions who saw a true champion.

Do not let your business make the same mistake. Find out what exasperates your customers. Find out what discourages them. Find out what hassles or confuses them.

And then stop it.

That is not just good business sense. That is the foundation of lasting customer loyalty in a world of constant change.