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Dear ,
I conducted two phone consultations today with some extraordinary business people.
One was a lawyer...
The other was an insurance broker...
And you know what I kept hearing from both of them (phrased differently, of course):
"I'm the Best In My Field --
Why Don't I Have More Business?"
My response surprised them. It might surprise you, too.
I replied, "You may very well be the best. But are you DIFFERENT?
I consider this such an important question... such an important concept... even my social media post today addressed this topic. (Just look at the graphic above and you'll see what I mean.)
You see, people everywhere are busy trying to be the best at what they do -- they get additional degrees, they pay for extra training, they try to outdo their competitors by demonstrating their superior knowledge and skill...
... and you know what they're NOT doing?...
Working On Being Different!
They're not working on distinguishing themselves or their "brand" if you will, from the next guy or the next gal.
Now, don't get me wrong -- it's a great thing to be good at what you do and be as accomplished as possible in your field.
But...
I Would Rather Be Different Than Better
Any Day of the Week and Twice on Sunday!
The fact is, people aren't excited by better -- but they're excited by different.
People aren't drawn to better -- but they're drawn to different.
People aren't talking about better -- but they're talking about different.
People don't gravitate to better -- but they gravitate to different.
And so forth.
Do you remember the first time you went to Disney World and how incredibly exciting and memorable it was (even if it was as an adult)? One of the main reasons you felt that way was because it's so different -- like nothing else out there.
In the world of entertainment, pretty much the only way to get noticed is to be different. There are plenty of examples of that: Madonna, Michael Jackson, Howard Stern and so forth (putting aside any moral issues you might have with their acts).
One of the most striking examples of different is an entertainer named Gallagher. His claim to fame was he would go out on stage, be funny and just start smashing the heck out of all kinds of things. He was part comedian, part wood chipper. But crowds flocked to his shows -- because he was DIFFERENT. Check out this short 3-minute clip of his act: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErppAlOIGQE. (Notice how thrilled people are to get food and sludge or other stuff splattered all over them.)
So, my message today is, while better is good, different is better. Work on being different because therein lies the key to big success.
Until next time...
P.S. Yes, there are exceptions to the idea of better vs. different. If you're having heart surgery, you're looking for the best, not who's different; although, recently, videos of a pediatric neurosurgery PA have gone viral because, as part of his care of his little patients, he dances with them (how's that for different!). You can check out one of the videos here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft6EmKUDc-c. So, even in medicine, different does have its place.
If you have any comments, ideas or suggestions, please email me at: nader@copticchamber.com.
