Perspiration Principle #71 — One is the Loveliest Number

Howard Tullman’s Perspiration Principles

Principle #71 – ONE IS THE LOVELIEST NUMBER

Effective competition has always been multi-dimensional. One-trick ponies and businesses that were strong in a single area (product, technology, sales or marketing, etc.) but short in others rarely succeeded in the long run. By and large, there wasn’t enough time to fix their shortcomings before the fast followers not only caught up, but quickly provided solutions which were quicker, cheaper, easier to implement or just better designed and more responsive to the real needs of the market.
The first movers and pioneers often identified and defined the problem, developed early approaches and simple solutions, and made all the early mistakes that are always part of the process and they basically set the table. And then, in too many cases to even count, an army of imitators rolled right over them and ate their lunch. One rule will never change – in the end, consumers don’t ever care who was first, they only care whose product, service or solution is best when they’re buying.
And today, I think it’s an even tougher game because some of the fundamental terms of successful competition – especially for start-ups – have changed and the winners (as always) will be the companies that catch on quickly and respond to the new conditions. Sometimes that means moving forward and sometimes that means getting back to basics. These days, we’re in a world where there’s plenty of capital, there’re more than enough customers, and there’s even a growing talent pool in many industries and areas.

The competition today is not for capital or resources – it’s for the consumer’s attention and – for better or worse – you’re competing for that attention – not simply with your direct and indirect competitors – you’re competing with EVERYTHING that gets in the way of or in front of your message. Don’t believe me? Check out your phone (which we do on average 150 times a day) and just scan your messages and news feeds. Family, friends, photos, phonies, ads, alerts, offers – it’s unending and filters aren’t much help so far. In fact, the initial GOOGLE filters are worse than no help – they actually make more work while you try to find buried messages and important information that some machine or moron at GOOGLE decided weren’t worth your time.
It’s just a fact of life that the channels to the consumer (and to all of us as well) are congested, confused, clogged, and increasingly costly and it’s just way too easy for your message to get lost or drowned in the deluge. Media today is everything that gets in the way of communication. And there’s only one thing that could make the situation worse. Spending money that you don’t have and can’t afford to waste on pushing out a confused or muddled message.

So we’re back to that very basic idea that – in communicating with your customers and prospects – getting your message right is even more important than getting your message through. And here’s the deal – one is the number. One message, one voice, one spokesman – end of story.

If you’re the entrepreneur, I’m hereby giving you permission to tell everyone else to suck on it. It’s your show, it’s your story, and it’s your game to win or lose. And – in the end – it’s not about a rampant outbreak of the Egola virus (and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise), it’s about effectiveness.

(1) It’s Never Everybody’s Turn

I realize that a company consists of many people and that many of them are making important contributions to the growth and development of the business. But I just don’t care about them or their hurt feelings when they don’t get their turn on TV or in the spotlight. Find other ways to recognize and reward their contributions. Democracy isn’t a virtue in effective messaging – consistency, image, clarity and communication are all that matter. Let the whiners be the co-captains of the company bowling team.

(2) It’s Not Really About You

It’s always possible that you aren’t the best spokesman for your business or that you’re not comfortable in the role. If that’s the case, just find the best person you can for the job. I’m assuming that you’re smart enough to know your own limitations and desires. (Of course, if you can’t successfully sell yourself and your idea, you might just as well forget about being an entrepreneur anyway – although I do realize that the selling doesn’t necessarily have to be done on TV or in the spotlight.)

The real point is that – if you do sign up to do this job – it’s not an ego thing – it’s because it’s hard enough to get a clear and concise message out there into the world and the more you can simplify the process – streamline the ideas and the images – and structure the conversations, the more successful you will be. You could teach other people over time to do this, but it’s a waste of time in the early stages of the business to even try. Just do it yourself – it’s faster and far more impactful.

And keep in mind that delegating your messaging to anyone else – especially outsiders and consultants – is a total disaster. The media may not know much – but they do know the real thing when they see it. And messengers and middle-men just don’t work anymore. Like it or not, entrepreneurs today are mini-rock stars and that’s who they folks want to see and hear from.

(3) It Really Does Work – Especially for MSM

The media doesn’t know anything other than what you tell them. They’re lazy and time-constrained. The easier and faster you can make it for them – think one-stop shopping – the happier and more responsive they will be and the more often they will be back. They need “go-to” guys and girls – experts and advocates – not inarticulate amateurs or losers who can’t clip on a lav. They don’t want a dissertation or a skull session – they want a sound bite. And they’re just as grateful to get your message – quickly and easily – as you are to share it with them. Remember that it’s not about education – it’s about entertainment and selling suds and soup. You’re just filler between the ads so they don’t all run together. So make your message your ad – short, sweet and smooth.

And that’s the drill. Just do it – over and over again – every opportunity you have – obsessively and repetitively. Repeated messages are remembered messages. Stay on message – people take a long time to listen. Don’t apologize – don’t share the spotlight – don’t play nicely with others. Just get out there and get the job done. Even the wanna-be web stars in your company will eventually thank you.

PP: “You Get What You Work for, Not What You Wish for”