Becoming forgettable is your biggest problem if you are trying to build any dream.
Businesses spend millions of dollars on television, radio, print, and many other forms of advertising to stay top of mind. They know if they are not in your face, you will forget about them and that is the killer of any business.
As the little guy, we can compete with these big conglomerates with endless stacks of money. It just takes a little more effort, but in return you will get loyal, raving fans that are not easily swayed to the competition. You can serve these people to a greater degree and then your dream becomes mutually beneficial.
In essence you will be unforgettable!
1. Excellence.
We remember excellence, not the ordinary. We remember the companies and people who are extraordinary. My favorite burger place is In-N-Out. In fact I love them so much that when I hit California I stop at the nearest one in Redding almost every time. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I am not alone in my adoration of this simplistic burger joint as they have a cult-like following.
If you commit to excellence, not only will people remember you, but they may even spread the word about you. If you are average you will be forgotten. Be excellent enough to get people talking.
2. Niche down.
Who do you serve? If it is everyone, then you have a problem. The fact is, if no one hates you then no one will love you. This was hard for me when I first started this blog because I want to be liked by everyone. I ended up writing material that really didn’t serve every person well. As I move along I have continued to niche down more and more. It doesn’t mean that you don’t serve people outside of your niche, however, it does mean that you are building everything for a specific group of people.
If you are successful, this niche following will be extremely passionate about you and what you do.
Niche down to be memorable. If you are too broad no one will recall you. Be specific enough to get a group of people talking.
3. Get to know them.
Once you have narrowed down your niche you need to get to know them. You need to find out their likes and dislikes. Expectations are key and you want to make sure that you go above and beyond what they expect. If you can meet expectations that your niche doesn’t even know they have, you will build brand awareness. Think like your target thinks and anticipate need before it arises. Find out where they hangout, what kind of things they are in to and set yourself up to succeed.
Build knowledge about your niche so that you will have the ability to be unforgettable.
4. Serve them.
Niche down and getting to know your target audience is all for one purpose; to serve them to the greatest of your ability. Your dream and business in the end will always be about others and serving them. If it is not, you need to get into a different line of work because that is the only way to prosper long-term. Instead of thinking, How can I expand my business, start thinking,How can I take the information I know and serve them greater? Do they want faster service, higher quality, lower prices, and friendlier staff? What is it that will serve your niche the best?
Serve and you will build. Self-serve and you will be forgotten because no one cares about you when you don’t care about them.
Build a life you never imagined by being unforgettable. Never settle for average. Instead serve with excellence. In time, you will be unable to hold back the tide of customers.
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Photo: The Preiser Project/Flickr
This essay originally appeared on Zechariah’s blog.
WTF…this is another business drone article that has nothing to do about being a good man.