So what does Seth Godin mean when he says that being good enough is not enough?
He means that if you’re average, your business will be average too. And an average business will usually do one of two things – succeed at a very moderate rate or fail.
Why? Because people don’t want average. When’s the last time you said, “I bought my car because it was average?” Or, “My spouse was pretty average, that’s what I was drawn too?”
We don’t want average. We want excellent. We want great. We want stupendous. We want remarkable. Remarkable in every sense of the word. But more than anything else, as consumers, we want to buy things or participate in experiences that we can share; that we can remark about.
As a business owner, you want to know this. You want to know that your audience wants to be a part of something – a product, community, service, etc – that’s remarkable. And when they perceive it as remarkable – they remark about it to everyone they know.
So when I shared the video yesterday in the post I titled One Huge Way To Save Time On Laundry I was doing so because I found it remarkable – worth remarking about. And so I did. And now you not only get a nice piece of information that could help you, you also get introduced to sixstringplucker on metacafe and if you watched to the end of the video, you also found out about a shirt folding product called flipfold.
Maybe you discovered metacafe or a user or a folding product, maybe you didn’t. But it’s likely you watched the video and from that you may have found it as remarkable as I did. And you may have shared it with someone else you know. Which is how viral marketing happens.
Create something remarkable and people will spread the message for you.
So like linderjpatrick noted in yesterday’s comments, you can see that my post really did have a purpose.
So what do you do that’s remarkable?
Very interesting. The content you posted if very significant to what our company is going through. We have technology that as far we we know no one else has. We have developed a brand that is truly unique. Yet for all these bells and whistles we have yet to fully leverage our product.
“But more than anything else, as consumers, we want to buy things or participate in experiences that we can share; that we can remark about.”
This quote hits the mark. It is what I have been preaching to our big wigs since I’ve been with the company. It is a classic case of old school vs. new school and unfortunately the new school is being told to sit in the corner and be good. This concerns me for as you state at the beginning of this entry being good isn’t good enough.
I am kind of rambling here but my point is our company needs to utilize the tools that are now available to consumers to talk about the things they buy. I hope we can implement this before it is too late. Otherwise school will be closed!
not sure it’s related – but i thrive on thrill and i can’t stand without it!
i always like to do something out of the ordinary
Living Rooms,
Yeah. And if they’re not remembering you and what you do, you’ve got to look at why. What I’ve found working with clients is that everyone has something unique to offer. It’s just a matter of finding what it is and clearly expressing it.
It is all a matter of attitude. One can say, what on earth is this going to do to me, my efficiency or prosperity and ignore it. Another could well be to, extrapolate and try and learn and teach something out of it. It does not need an Einstein to figure out which type predominates our globe!
It’s a fundamental reality, but it does bear repeating, so thanks for doing so.
My Toyota Corolla–the third one I’ve owned (and I’d still be on #2 if not for an unfortunate accident!)–is hardly a remarkable car on the surface. Unsexy, unspiffy, un-lust-after-able, it seems unremarkable in every way…until you see its reliability record. It is truly remarkable, and it’s why, even with other, more obviously remarkable cars out there, I am a loyal fan of the Corolla’s remarkability.
Which is all to say, you don’t have to be showy; you just have to be the best at whatever it is you do.
I guess that’s where I try to be remarkable. I’m “just” parsing information, but I try to do it with style (wordsmithery) and a positive attitude (spin) every time.
How’m I doin’, boss? 🙂
People do want more than average!
I was just recently telling a friend of mine that car dealerships all pay the same price for the new car they’re selling. And when it comes to selling the car, most will match the competition’s price.
With that said, it all comes down to customer service! Did the dealer you bought your car from make your experience hassle-free and good enough that you’ll buy from them again? Or did they just treat you as another sale?
The Murr,
Really, take a look at Andy Sernovitz’s book Word of Mouth Marketing. If you’re in the States, I’d be happy to send you a copy. Just send me your postal info with a reminder. WOM Marketing is one of the keys to the new school approach.
And remember, the new school approach is about people and relationships more than anything else. And that’s what people want.
You’re also welcome to contact me and we can talk about how I might be able to help you.
Home Recording,
And that’s the point of niche marketing. You don’t need the entire world to know about your business. You only need a specific, niche group of people whose problems you can solve.
Bingo,
Remarkable happens in many ways. Maybe thrill is just your way. Also, you want people to be thrilled by what you do.
communicatrix,
On the radio the other day I heard that of all the Toyota Corollas built since 1992, more than 90% are still on the road. Now that’s remarkable.
It’s not necessarily about flash but rather is it something that people will remark about.
Rick,
Exactly. Remember Saturn? That’s what GM has tried to do with Saturn. And that’s why people from all over the country drive down to Tennessee every year for a huge BBQ that Saturn puts on for its customers. Not flashy – but remarkable.
Communicatrix, as usual, very readable.
You are true but think of the other aspects too.
How easy is it to make something average and how easy is to do something remarkable?
Most of the people are thinking that they can come up with something good but their minds can only spawn average ideas, that’s why there are so many.
The problem isn’t really with the guys that create average things, but with the ones that create average things and are aware of this.
This is something I learned at ASU. One of the best ways to be successful is to come up with an incredible idea first or take someone else’s idea and make it better.
Home Recording,
Now I think she’s remarkable…just not well known yet.
bruxism,
True. Yet I’m of the belief that each of us have at least one thing inside us that’s unique from everyone else. The question becomes how do we leverage what’s unique about us – and our approach to business – to show how we’re remarkable.
I have a friend who lives a very interesting life. He does a lot of things out of the ordinary. He’s not eccentric, just unique in how he looks at things. He’s now trying to leverage his differences, some of which are quite interesting and certainly remarkable, into his coaching practice.
Paul,
I hear you. I don’t think it matters where the idea comes from because ultimately to be successful you have to own it for yourself. And it’s mixing of yourself in it that creates something remarkable.
Good post, definately something we already know but should be reminded often. I dont think anyone strives to be average but rather just settle for it.
But what if people don’t acknowledge us? After trying so hard to build something that truly matters and useful, there are no guarantee people will respect us, much less know us.
But the fact is, we can’t be remarkable in every way. It’s impossible and also foolish to try to make everyone happy. It’s not about trying to impress everybody. Rather, we just need to pick a niche and try to make somebody in the niche happy 🙂
Don’t bother whether they say thank you or not. It’s not our concern.
@homerecording: Thank you! We aim to please.
Easy Money,
I once had a mentor who when I told him I already knew everything he was talking about replied to me, “If you knew it, you would do it.”
Maximillian,
It comes down two things…position and audience. Get those two things right and it just take effort. If either are off, it’s hard to succeed.
Gunady,
Of course we can’t. The goal isn’t to make everyone happy. Quite the contrary. We want to find a highly specific niche and become remarkable in their eyes
Word of mouth marketing is something every company should strive to achieve…
If memory serves me right, you created a blog post about the value of WOM marketing (referencing Andy Sernovitz) some time back.
I agreed with you then and even more so now!
On our effort becoming remarkable in our chosen niche, there are word-of-mouth about our competence and credibility. Thus, there is high possibility we could be well known outside our niche. Dont you think? 🙂
Rick,
WOM marketing is a huge key to successful business growth. And it’s great to do because it’s all about building relationships.
Gunady,
Yes, yes and yes. I always see niche as problem/solution. That means in identifying the problem, anyone who has that problem can be in your target market.
Everyone always tells me:
“Seven kids and you’re still sane. How you juggle their schedules, appointments and extra-curricular activiites is amazing. And you don’t take meds or drink?.”
Things happen in life and sometimes you are put in situations that are impossible to some. What do you do? You determine what you would like as an outcome, set goals and set about implemeting them. Of course, with kids you can always expect the unexpected. When you’re faced with failure, you can give up or do what I do. I pick myself up, dust myself off and keep going. I always remember one thing: my kids are always watching. This is one of the best motivators for me.
Daring to think differently from the masses and perseverance to defeat the odds. Both contribute to making one remarkable, whether it’s in business or relationships.
supermom,
Exactly. And sometimes it’s true that necessity is the mother of invention. Sometimes you become remarkable out of necessity. I don’t really think it matters how we get there. What’s more important is that we find what’s remarkable about us. Don’t you think?
its true everyone wants to do something which is remarkable .. but what for those who try and rather doing better they make the situation worst. If they had done something average, I think that could not lead to face worst. It would be never best if you never try for it, but what about the risk of being failure ?
max,
How would you define failure?
I’ve written on this previously in Is Failure Good?, and What Does It Mean To Succeed.
I’d love to hear your thoughts after reading these posts…
There are times that we get so fixed in our day to day lives we become unremarkable. By breaking the cycle we allow ourselves to think more out of the box. Being stuck in the routine of the daily grind is what keeps us from routinely being remarkable.