September 8, 2011

Why the opposite direction is often the successful route to take

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Why the opposite direction is often the successful route to take

Distinctive. Unique. Remarkable. DiFFERENT. These words are used to describe successful organizations that know how to thrive and survive over the long term.

The challenge, of course, is to figure out how to get there.

One possibility is to be a contrarian. Do the opposite to what the faceless competitive herd is doing

Break from the trend. Get out of the box.

If the herd is doing it one way, go in the opposite direction. If they are going north, go south.

One amazing example of applying contrarianism is to look at what The Grateful Dead did. Several years ago, rock bands never allowed concert fans to record their music during a live performance due to copyright concerns bands had at the time.
The Grateful Dead did exactly the opposite and enabled their fans to do it, thinking that it made sense to have their music shared with as many people as possible and that record sales would increase as a result. They were right.

Another example is the Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas that went against the trend of offering healthy food to offer a range of high calorie food including ‘the triple bypass burger’.

And a contrarian view might actually stimulate customer loyalty in the credit collections function in an organization. Organizations generally treat their collections function as a one-way collect the balance due task.

But what if you treated it as a credit management function where employees are empowered to manage credit risk and work with the customer to develop a payment plan that was a win-win for both the company and the customer? The move from collecting amounts owed to finding a mutually beneficial solution would go a long way to build a positive feeling about the company in the customer’s mind.

What if you went against the herd and focused on providing premium value at higher prices than others? The herd generally has a commodity mindset, believing that having the lowest price will garner business. The contrarian, on the other hand, plays the specialty game, looking for opportunities to create a unique brand that commands higher prices (and margins).

So, when you’re developing your business plan, specifically test the opportunities that might be available by taking a contrary position to what others are doing.

“What would happen if we went against the flow?” is the question that should be probed to see if you can BE DiFFERENT, get noticed and standout from the crowd.

Go against the herd. Practice opposition and get noticed

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 9.8.11 at 10:00 am by Roy Osing
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July 30, 2011

What important habit does a great leader practice every day?

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What important habit does a great leader practice every day?

“...any regularly repeated behavior that requires little or no thought and is learned” — a habit

Leaders should always be looking for something that will step up their game, that will continue to make them relevant and standout from the crowd of other leaders who are content to led from a textbook.

There are bad habits. And there are good habits.

You acquire a habit. You do it and you can’t help it. You do it without thinking. A habit tends to be an involuntary response. It becomes part of who we are — integral to our DNA.

If leadership in organizations were to mandate that this habit be acquired, our consumer lives would eventually be a whole lot more satisfying.

The Habit?

Call a customer every day.

It’s rather easy to learn. Easy to do. And the rewards are unlimited for any organization wanting to separate themselves from the faceless competitive herd.

One phone call — no, not an email — to someone who is loyal to you and does business with you regularly.

A 15 minute conversation or longer if you are lucky enough to have the other person actually want to talk to you and will accept your call.

A connection at the same time everyday. Calendarize it so it becomes a part of what you naturally so each day. 1232

The call content is pretty straightforward. Ask a question - Listen - Make notes - Ask a question - Listen - Make notes - Ask - Listen - Take notes…..

After the call, do something with what you’ve learned. If you don’t take action you have wasted the customer’s time. And make this habit matter to others in your organization.

Get others in your organization making the call as well. Spread the habit. Infect your colleagues with it.

The call is not a run-of-the-mill habit.

It actually has a multiple ROI for your 15 minute investment:

▪️ The customer is flattered you called and continues to be loyal and give you their business;
▪️ They tell their close contacts you called them which draws then to you and you censure more business;
▪️ You learn a secret or two during the conversation which not only allows you to serve them better, it also provides you with insights on how you can better serve others and attract new business;
▪️ By getting others in your organization to ‘make the call’, you take a giant step to creating a customer-centric culture which will increase your chances of success and survival in the long term;
▪️ You learn a fact or two about your competition (if you ask the right questions) which allows you to stay one step ahead of them.

You imprint the habit on others to scale the benefits. Wow! A scaled habit. Who would have thought? You improve something in your organization that serves the customer. You earn the continued loyalty of a fan.

Not bad for a habit.

This is one habit you never want to kick.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 7.30.11 at 10:00 am by Roy Osing
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July 18, 2011

Why Customer Secrets Are the Ultimate Game-Changer in Business

Why Customer Secrets Are the Ultimate Game-Changer in Business

In the cutthroat arena of modern business, where competition is fierce and differentiation is elusive, the most successful organizations don’t just understand their customers—they know them.

They go beyond the surface-level needs and tap into the secrets that drive individual desires, cravings, aspirations, and behaviors.

These secrets are the untapped goldmine that separates the mediocre from the extraordinary, the followers from the trailblazers.

Needs are common; Secrets are power.

Most businesses operate in the first tier of customer understanding—the needs-layer.
They focus on identifying what customers need and delivering products or services to meet those needs.

But here’s the brutal truth: everyone is doing this.

The needs-layer is saturated, and it offers no sustainable competitive advantage. Why? Because most people already have what they need.

The real opportunity lies in the second tier—the secrets-layer.

This is where you uncover what customers want, what they covet, what they dream about, what they crave.

It’s where you discover the hidden drivers that make them tick.

The Secrets-Layer: The Untapped Frontier of Customer Insight — A customer secret is not a mass-market trend or a generic desire.

It’s deeply personal, unique to each individual. It’s a habit, a bias, a dream, a fear, a lifestyle choice, or even an unspoken aspiration.

Crowds don’t have secrets—individuals do.

And when you uncover these secrets, you gain the ability to deliver something that no one else can.

You create experiences, products, and services that resonate on a profoundly personal level.

This is the ultimate differentiator.

While your competitors are busy meeting needs, you’re fulfilling desires.

While they’re playing catch-up, you’re setting the pace.

◼️ What Does This Mean for Marketing? — The shift to a secrets-layer focus transforms the way you approach marketing.

Gone are the days of periodic, mass-market research that gives you a snapshot of what people need.

Instead, you must adopt a continuous, individualized learning process.

You need to engage with customers on a deeper level, uncovering their secrets in real-time and using that information to craft hyper-personalized offerings.

This is not just about selling; it’s about building intimate customer relationships.

When you understand a customer’s secrets, you can create marketing campaigns that feel tailor-made for them.

You can craft messages that speak directly to their hopes, fears, and aspirations.

This is how you build loyalty, trust, and long-term engagement.

◼️ What Does This Mean for Customer Service? — Customer service is no longer just about fixing problems—it’s about turning mistakes into moments of magic.

When a service blunder occurs, the secrets-layer becomes your secret weapon.
By leveraging what you know about the customer, you can turn a negative experience into a loyalty-building event.

A service mistake can create a “gaspworthy” moment and a raving fan forever.

The key is speed and personalization.

You need to respond within 24 hours, and you need to surprise the customer with something that feels deeply personal.

Maybe it’s a gesture that aligns with their lifestyle, a gift that reflects their hobbies, or a solution that addresses a challenge they’ve been quietly grappling with.

When you recover in a way that feels personal, the customer doesn’t just forgive you—they become even more committed to your brand.

◼️ What Does This Mean for Sales? — Sales teams must evolve from being product pushers to secret gatherers.

The traditional role of hitting quotas and pushing products is no longer enough.

Salespeople must be trained to ask the right questions, listen intently, and uncover the secrets that drive customer decisions.

This is not just about closing deals; it’s about building trust.

When a salesperson takes the time to understand a customer’s secrets, they’re not just selling—they’re connecting.

And that connection is what leads to long-term relationships and repeat business.

To make this happen, organizations must incentivize Secret Gathering.

Sales bonuses should be tied to the ability to uncover and leverage customer secrets.

This isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a strategic imperative.

◼️ The Secret Discovery Process: How to Uncover What Really Matters — The process of uncovering customer secrets is both an art and a science.

It starts with asking the right questions and listening deeply.

You need to show genuine interest in the customer’s story, not just your own agenda.

When customers feel heard and understood, they’ll willingly share their secrets.

The key is to shift from transmit mode to receive mode.

Instead of talking about your products or services, focus on learning about the customer.

Ask questions, take notes, and follow up.

Over time, you’ll build a Secrets Manual for each high-value customer—a living document that captures their unique desires, preferences, and challenges.

◼️ The Ultimate Competitive Advantage — In a world where technology, branding, and product features are easily replicated, customer secrets are the one thing that can’t be copied.

Customer Secrets are the ultimate source of sustainable competitive advantage.

When you understand what makes your customers tick, you can create offerings that feel irresistible.

You can build relationships that are unbreakable.

And you can achieve levels of performance that are unmatched.

The question is not whether you should start uncovering customer secrets—it’s how quickly you can make it a core competency in your organization.

The organizations that master this will not just survive; they will thrive.

They will be the ones setting the pace, defining the future, and reaping the rewards of a customer-centric revolution.

The hidden edge is there for the taking. Are you ready to unlock it?

Cheers,
Roy
My Podcast Show Audacious Moves to A BILLION shares the specific Moves I made to achieve jaw-dropping growth in an insanely competitive internet business.

”The Audacious Unheard of Ways I Took a Startup to A BILLION IN SALES” is the latest in my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series.

• Posted 7.18.11 at 11:00 am by Roy Osing
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July 16, 2011

3 easy things you need to know for startup success

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3 easy things you need to know for startup success.

So you have a cool idea that you think people will love. You think it will make you lots of money. You want to start your own business.

How do you go about it?

Here are 3 things you should do to at least increase your chances of success:

1. Make sure your idea is different

Before you do anything to move your new idea forward, make sure it’s different from what others in the market are doing. If you don’t have an idea that offers people something different from what other products are available, you will most likely be one of the startup failure statistics.
If your idea is the same or similar to what others offer, you simply won’t get noticed. Your competitive strategy should be based on uniqueness: to be the ONLY one that does what you do.

2. Keep your planning horizon short

Think in terms of what you want to achieve over the next 24 months. Your financiers may want a 5 Year Plan but you need to keep your eyes on short term goals. execution is critical and is enabled through a focus on “What am I going to do in the next 30 days?”.
Remember: the 5th year of a 5-year plan won’t show up if you can’t find a way to navigate through the vagaries of the near term.

3. Create a base of support for your idea

You need to garner a crowd of supporters for your idea. People who love it. People who want you to succeed. People who are willing to commit their time and energy to spread your word to others.
Use them to start your marketing efforts. It’s the most inexpensive and effective way to get going. And if you have trouble organizing a group of support for your idea then maybe it’s not a good idea.

Key concepts: ONLY competitive positioning, monthly goals and fan marketing.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 7.16.11 at 10:00 am by Roy Osing
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