“Swamp of Sameness”

Just yesterday, I received my always-anticipated  NO. BS Marketing letter* from Bill Glazer and Dan Kennedy, and – as always – dug in!  This month, Dan’s big lesson was about differentiating… and getting out of what he calls the SWAMP of SAMENESS.

You’ve heard it before:  Differentiate or DIE. We’ve all heard it before, but are we taking heed?  Are we really re-imagining our businesses, our products and services, and how we work with our customers?  Are we being boldly different?  Blazing trails never before considered? Are we willing?

Truthfully, the answer’s no. Most of the businesses I see are taking an existing concept, offer or business and tweaking it, changing just enough to declare a change.  The truth is, they’re being bullied by  that same middle-school fear of NOT fitting in and allowing it to keep them from being DARINGLY different.  And so, they do just that:  fit in.  They fit into that same, always ignored, completely unprofitable SWAMP of SAMENESS…

Their ticket out?   And yours?  Differentiate.  BOLDLY building your business your own way. Looking at what your competition is doing, marketing, promising, or charging…..

and doing anything and everything you can to NEVER be confused with them.

OK.  It’s been long enough  that I can probably tell this story without getting into any trouble… and it sort of applies.. so I’ll take a chance!   I was once approached by a client who was considering attending my retreat OR going to another “coach-focused” intensive.  I looked up that “other guru’s” website to find familiar copy…. pictures… promises.. all TOO familiar, in fact.

She was pitching the eXACT same retreat as everyone else in her mastermind was pitching. They had all learned from the same guru.  They were all offering their own version of the same retreat… with the EXACT same copy… Testimonials?  YEP.. they all raved about one another… probably never having exchanged a dime, let alone any professional service.  HECK, the picture accompanying their “I’m SO RICH” evidence showed this house being built on the beach…  AND THEY ALL SHOWED THE SAME PICTURE!  Were they planning on living together, or what???

Anyway, that was an extreme example… and that lady became a phenomenally successful client of mine I’m happy to say!   But,  if you are following gurus who are redundant… STOP!   Any blueprint they’re selling off the shelf won’t help you.  (Sorry, it wont.)   You’d be better served by reading the testimonials on their sales page… visiting the  sites of those RAVING FANS  to see what IDENTICAL FORMULA they’re pitching you… and then doing the OPPOSITE.

If ANYTHING you’re doing could be considered redundant, STOP!   Because the swamp of identical, me-too, make-me-look-like-everyone-else sameness is no place for a driven, profit-oriented entrepreneur to be.

Our clients and customers are surrounded by sales people and business owners who are following scripts, networking pitches, and success formulas that OOOOZZZE  sameness.  Our markets are busy, but creating a “my own way” spin on your business is more critical than ever, and (truly, daringly, boldly) differentiating has more profit potential than ever before.  You can establish strong differentiators in:

• what you deliver (the product or service)
• who you serve (niche markets – just for them)
• how you sell – (this is a BIG one… a goldmine of profit can be found by SELLING differently!), and even
• how (or how much) you get paid.

That’s a woefully incomplete list, of course… but hopefully just enough to get your wheels turning!  So, what will  you do differently?  =)