by Will Rotondi
Stand out. Be Unique. Think Differently.
Familiar phrases, aren’t they? We hear these instructions all of the time, particularly when in sales. How do you show that your Company ABC does things differently – and, most importantly, better – than Company XYZ? How do you throw the sales pitch for yourself on your resume to be a home run hit? In the end, it’s the same content, just a different way of phrasing the basic messages of, “We do this,” or, “I am this.”
And while phrasing is important – we’re frequently editing what we’ve written before to be better, more concise, or pack a bigger punch and deeper meaning – there’s a fine balance between refreshing and regurgitated.
And trust me, words have a smell to them. You want a flagrant flower, not creek water.
In order to achieve this, sometimes you have to pull back from that drive to be so different. Get back to the basics. Try something simple.
For example, Groupon recently discussed its plans to help with cash-back options through supermarkets on certain brands they’ve partnered with. How simple could you get? People like discounts. People use coupons. While the success is yet to be determined, the lesson is important: don’t think so big that you miss the opportunities in small endeavors.
If you want a lead to talk to you, sometimes it’s not about puffing up your chest to flex your marketing muscle – it’s asking the simple question.
