you want my business, right?  you want me to choose you over your competitors, yeah?

let me give you a hint: ordinary is not unordinary.

as i’m currently in the new car market, i’m taking a look at just about every car maker under the sun right now (except dodge/chrysler/jeep).  this new car has to be the car i keep for a good while because i plan on saving up for a house or condo; i just want to upgrade my car while my trade-in is still a good value.  the one thing i’ve seen — from everyone! — has been really incredible: auto makers and dealers trying to sell me on things that are truly pedestrian…

AM/FM radio?  ordinary.
CD player?  ordinary.
power windows?  ordinary.
floor mats?  ordinary.
rear window defogger?  ordinary.
air conditioning?  ordinary.
cup holders?!  ordinary!

if you’re selling cars, boats, motorcycle sidecars, televisions, mobile phones.. yourself to a potential employer (or your organization to a potential employee!) .. whatever it is if you expect to sell, you have to remove the ordinary from your sales pitch.  you won’t earn new business by selling what everyone else has.  you need to differentiate yourself.  you need to identify where your product, services, or skills are different from the next closest competitor.  first, identify those areas, then sell that.

if you’re looking for a job, to hire a new employee, or to sell more cars, you have to make yourself special.

ordinary is not unordinary.