Be Remarkable and Let Others Do the Talking

As I wrote in opening post in this Simple, Beautiful, Remarkable series, life is noisy – filled with marketing messages. It’s hard to make your message stand out and get through to the people you’re trying to reach. So, most organizations try to get their message through the noise but saying even more and saying it louder.

They opt for more emails, more blog posts, more social media, more special offers, more options, more exclamation marks, more dramatic headlines, more bells and whistles.

It’s a marketing arms race.

And it sucks. There’s a lot of pressure to produce more messages and to constantly outdo yourself.

What’s worse is that sending more messages will irritate people. Increasing the hype can cause you to lose credibility. If you want to know where it all leads, turn on the TV and watch the commercials your local car dealerships are putting on the air.

There is a better way.

Instead of talking about how great your product, service or organization is, be remarkable & let others do the talking.

Church leaders, instead of trying to have the best worship band, the best preaching, and the most fun children’s ministry in town and then spending boat loads of time and money telling everyone in town about it, find your unique calling and do what no other church in town is doing.

Business owners, instead of trying to beat the competition at their own game by providing the best whatever at the lowest price, change the game by creating your own unique product or service.

Be creative.

Surprise people.

Do something everyone else refuses to do because its too hard, too costly, too messy, or down right impossible.

I’m not suggesting you end all your marketing and communications. But if you focus on being truly remarkable and then just tell your story, people will spread the word for you.

• Jesus was remarkable.
• Mother Theresa was remarkable.
• Compassion International is remarkable.
• TOMS Shoes is remarkable.
• Charity: Water is remarkable.

What remarkable people and organizations stand out to you?

How will you try to be remarkable in 2011?