Comments on: Success Is For People That Dare To Be Different

By: Angus Grady

Angus Grady — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:20:07 +0000

Being different and knowing it is what makes the difference. I loved reading this and it has given me a boost.I am trying to be different in a market that has no real corporate “personalities”

By: Angus Grady

Angus Grady — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:20:07 +0000

Being different and knowing it is what makes the difference. I loved reading this and it has given me a boost.I am trying to be different in a market that has no real corporate “personalities”

By: Linda Gustafsson Neal

Linda Gustafsson Neal — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:12:57 +0000

Your article reminded me of the importance of personal positioning. I think personal positioning and differentiation needs to be based on personality and values to be truly strong and lasting over time. You cannot simply be different whilst at the same time not being true to yourself. I loved the article and I've subscribed to your future postings.

By: Michael Halvorson

Michael Halvorson — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:24:06 +0000

Another thought, Sir Issac Newton, how many people watched an apple fall from a tree before they asked, why did that happen. Everyday I try and take a pic with my digital camera of something, and then look at the pic and see if I am missing something. Time is the enemy we have to go and do and move and blink and drive and, we see lots of things, but capture things with a camera and you have stopped the moment. Look at it, most of the time, its a waste, sorry, but I have had a few moments of clarity from this process and have changed some things that needed to be different. Not monumental, just simple little changes. I took pictures of my wife in the garden a few times, she is bent over breaking her back, its totally not fun, so I made a stool with wheels, big fat wheels, she can move left and right, not hurt her back or her garden and it made it better. I got that from a picture that I took and looked at. Sometimes pictures hold the secret but you have to look. I played a computer game where there are some items hidden in the picture and there is a list on the side and you have to find the items, well you dont need the game but the game is there, take a pic with your phone, or camera and look at it, 5 minutes, is all it takes, look. I used to have by my desk a little picture that just said THINK, now I have one that says, SEE.

Mike

By: Michael Halvorson

Michael Halvorson — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:23:09 +0000

I thought a bit more about being different. I think the phrase being different, is better said as " I WANT MORE SALES" being different does not equate to more sales, it equates to being different. However if all the trash cans are flat on the bottom and people have long driveways and its a pain in the arse to drag the trash cans to the street for pickup, there will be someone who thinks differently and they create a way to put wheels on the trashcan so its easy to drag to the street, and easy to drag back after the rubbish has been picked up.
Look at the way things are done, and decide first if it is as good as it can be, then if changing it will be worth the time and effort, and then think differently about how the process can be changed to the benefit of the people who are people you want to affect with the change.

Change comes slowly but it does not need to come slowly, in my opinion there are things that need changing that are massive problems, health care, fuel consumption etc. But the infrastructure of change in those areas are massive. So giving lip service to an idea that might change these industries is probably a long term deal. Unless you figure out how to use water for gas, then you can change everything overnight that difference is monumental.

The idea of the garbage can with wheels was one my son kept telling me about, he was like 10 years old and he drew trashcans with wheels, I saw his drawings, they were cute. I did NOT pay attention to the difference he was talking about, something about the forest and the trees I think applies to my stupidity. A few years later, at Kmart, there was a trash can with wheels, I bought it, and solved my problem of dragging the trash can. My kid had seen it for years, I did not see the difference.

We become complacent with our sight and our ability to see, really see the small things. Small things can have big changes and they can be a part of a great new way to do things. How about the TV remote, needs change, and needs to be different. How many things do you look at every day and accept what it is and dont think about change, but then you go about your day, working on the things you do, and you look to see how you can be different, and increase sales with that difference. You might be trying to roll a 20 ton rock up hill. Look at the things that could be different and then go about making the change to the little things. there is a company in Minnesota, 3M, they do this all the time, they make some big things, and they make lots of little things that offer change. Sticky notes.....different, change, winner.

Being different is not the solution, thinking and seeing different is. Open your eyes to the possibility of difference. Percy Ross the inventor of the...wait for it....drum roll, plastic bag, he thought differently, on a small thing that became, the big thing. What have you seen in the last few years where your brain said, hey that could be better, that does not work, why do we do this or that in that way, I have a different idea.

The human brain is an amazing thing, you dont need to think differently you need to see the different ways to make changes, to improve.
You want to make more sales, visit your clients, look at what they do, they are really in the middle of the forest, suggest some ideas to the right person, for no charge, for no fees, if it works, you just hit the gold mine, if it does not, at least you offered something DIFFERENT than any of your competition.

Babble off mode.
Mike