The first thing to do is to throw away your marketing rule book. The world has changed. The tenants that worked so well in the past are fast becoming obsolete. Darwin was right: if you want to survive, you must learn to evolve.



Think about it-just twenty years ago, consumers had far fewer products and services to choose from, and plenty of time to make buying decisions. Today, consumers have a vast array of choices, but much less time to sort through them all.

So, how do you reach those impatient, overloaded customers? How do you get their attention and win them over to your products?

Rule #1: Don't Play It Safe

In the past, the golden rule was to create safe, ordinary products and promote them through brilliant marketing campaigns.

Now, there are so many "safe" products out there and so much marketing hoopla, it's hard to get your products noticed. Consumers need a scorecard to tell them all apart!

The fact is, most small companies are unwilling to take risks. They're afraid that if they develop a product that's outside the mainstream, someone won't like it. They are afraid of appearing ridiculous or drawing criticism. Boring, they maintain, is better than drawing negative attention.

Nonsense! If you're going to be successful, your products must be different. And when they are, it's a given that some people won't like them. So what? Forget about fitting in; seek out your competitive edge. In short, don't be afraid to be remarkable.

What if-instead of creating yet another safe product-you develop one that's truly, clearly unique? What if you followed your passions and made the product you've always dreamed of? Or encouraged your employees to brainstorm wildly, taking note of their ideas?

It's time to take a walk on the wild side. That's how you break away from the pack.

Rule #2: You Can't Sell to Everyone

When asked who is your customer , do you answer "everyone who uses it?" This will not get you very far.

When you try to sell to everyone, you end up with watered-down, run-of-the-mill products. Instead, do what some very successful small businesses do: avoid mass marketing and identify your niche. Rather than focus on the quantity of your potential customers, focus on quality.

Don't try to sell to everyone; do just the opposite. Instead of appealing to the masses with predictable products, attract your niche customers with remarkable products. To find your niche, ask yourself: who is your most profitable customer? If you could choose your customers, what would they look like? That's who you should be appealing to.

And no matter what industry you are in, there is one niche that will serve you extremely well. It's that eagle-eyed group of consumers who like being first. These buyers pounce on new and innovative products, because they enjoy being the first to own them.

It's a fact that most consumers resist change. Adapting to something new takes work, so most people avoid it. But there are consumers who love new stuff. Some want it just because it's different, and they want to be different. Others want it because they see the value of the product and recognize that it will give them an edge over everyone else.

The beauty of these early adopters is that they can become your sales force for you. These trendsetters influence the rest of the market. They spread what's called an "ideavirus." Once your product gains the acceptance of early adopters, more cautious consumers will jump on the bandwagon.

That's the beauty of remarkable marketing: win over enough early adopters, and mainstream consumers will follow. "Very good" just isn't good enough these days. Marketing alone isn't the answer. The true secret to making your products stand out is creating products that do stand out.