If your business was an ice cream, would it be vanilla or pistachio flavour? Vanilla, as we all know, is the best-selling ice cream flavour by far. But if your business is vanilla, as most are, then you're going to need an enormous marketing budget - otherwise you'll go unnoticed. Sure, you'll make some sales, but not enough to make your mark. And being a 'better vanilla' won't help you, because you're still vanilla.
Now, pistachio will get you noticed. Yes, you'll get a negative response from some people, but being pistachio is the only way to be fascinating to somebody. Vanilla fascinates no one.
Biologically speaking, you are 99.9% the same as everyone else. This applies to businesses as well. Your individuality depends on that 0.1% - that's where you've got to find your advantage. If you're seen as vanilla by your target market then it means you're trying too hard to be 'mainstream-acceptable' - too inclusive, too gentle, too 'same-as-but-better', too careful. You're suppressing the very 0.1% difference that offers your only true opportunity for greatness, wealth and real power in your marketplace.
There's no money in the middle. Being vanilla is bad - in all respects. Pistachio is where it's at.
