Fresh new money from boring old ideas
September 4th, 2006 by Allen VoivodDuring “The Clean Sweep Challenge” (which we wrote about in yesterday’s post), we came across an article by Yanik Silver about the secrets of successful product launches. And Lani tossed out this little off-the-cuff remark:
He became a millionaire by saying the same thing everyone else is saying.
Now, Lani’s not a cynic, and though she’s occassionally sarcastic (aren’t we all?), she was totally serious when she said it. It’s not a knock on Yanik - it’s a clean distillation of two key maxims for anyone forging ahead in the business world:
- Don’t confuse being original with re-inventing the wheel.
- It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.
If your niche, field, or vocation has been around for a while, chances are it’s all been said and done before by “Them” - you know, the influential people, businesses and brands that have already profited from your audience by promoting their singular expertise and insight.
To that, I say: So what?
Say it in your own unique voice. Package it in a way people haven’t experienced. Market it better than those other people who’ve said it all and done it all before you.
Here’s the thing: “They” are not YOU. Never have been, never will be. And YOU are the most valuable asset you have in your arsenal.
That’s what Yanik Silver did with some standard marketing concepts. Other people taught those concepts, but some audience members had to hear it from Yanik before they finally “got it.”
And that goes for you and YOUR message, too. Don’t believe me? Wait until Lani tells you about the Elvis dream she had last night.
