Bet #7 of 7 Essential Bets To Make In A World Where Almost Everything Is A Gamble.

I saved the best bet for last…

What do people think, when they think of you? What comes to mind, when people hear your name?

If I say the name Mother Theresa, you immediately get a picture of her and what she stands for. You know what made her great at the work she did. When you hear ‘Richard Branson’ – you have a very definite image of him and how he’s different from everyone else.

The same is true of Donald Trump, Oprah, Tony Robbins and just about anyone else who has achieved a standout level of success.

Each and everyone of these people paid their dues to hone their ability; they kept possibility alive through persistence and being prolific; they know what drives them and why; they did whatever they needed to do to make sure their cash didn’t run out before their luck; they were true to themselves rather than try to be all things to all people… and today, you know who they are today NOT because they blend in, but because of what makes them different.

Bet 7: Bet on what makes you different..

What makes you different is what makes you better…in your business, your market, your career, your life.

The same is true of the most successful brands and the organizations behind them:

Honda. Apple. IKEA. BMW, Starbucks. They’re leading brands NOT because they blend in, but because of their singular attention to what makes them different.

What makes you different?

In business and in life, traditional marketers would have us wear different costumes – different masks – to suit our clients, our bosses, our markets, and even our friends and family. Even the term, ‘marketing makeover’, suggests that what we really need is a superficial veneer. And in our attempt to be appeal to the widest possible audience, we end up hiding the person we truly are — we hide what makes us different.

But here’s the truth – people don’t value you for how you are the same as everyone else. They value you for what makes you different. Even the smallest difference, (and many times especially the smallest difference), will command the highest price, the greatest loyalty, the most votes and biggest following from the people who value it.

Discovering, highlighting and betting your success on what makes you different is what leadership is all about — leadership in your business, your market, your career, your life.

More than ever, companies need leadership — the world needs leadership. Whether you’re a financial advisor, consultant, life coach, lawyer, accountant, speaker, author or CEO of a major corporation – what makes you different as a person is what makes you better; better in your business, your market, your career, your life. And if you want to be a leader, that’s where you have to start.

What makes you different is what makes you uniquely you. So when you bet on what makes you different, you bet on yourself. If you’re not prepared to bet on yourself, who will?

Do you know what makes you different? Do you have the courage to find out what makes you different — and are you prepared to bet your success on it?

I hope so, because what makes you different is what makes you better — in your business, your market, your career, your life.

And that is why it’s the best bet you can make.

Essentially yours,

Michel Neray
Chief Differentiation Officer
The Essential Message

P.S. If you’re wondering what this has to do with your Essential Message, here’s the answer: your Essential Message is not only one of the bets, it’s also part of the same process that helps you discover the success formula that works for you. But I’m getting ahead of myself…