Hey, it’s Jesper!
For years I’ve had a post-it note on my wall.
It’s a quote from Seth Godin: “Safe is risky.”
Taken out of context, it may seem unclear. What does he mean? Here’s one way to look at it.
Just imagine:
You’re about to start a new adventure…
Could be a business…
Perhaps a new freelance career…
An important presentation, or a project…
Whatever it is, you have to pick an audience.
Who is it for?
But you know what? It’s also a trap. What do I mean?
Well, because the temptation to choose too broadly often wins out. By choosing many, we actually select none.
Consider the two following messages:
“Are you tired of being stuck?”
Would you be interested in something new?”
vs
“Are you tired of coming home late every single day because your micromanaging boss is nitpicking on endless unnecessary details that turn every project — and the whole workplace — into a torture chamber?
And what used to be relaxing home time with your family is now a buzzing concert — endless texts from work about what needs to be done before the morning meeting. It’s just out of hands!
Enough!
Would you be interested in something new? “
The name of the game is: “specificity.”
But that’s only possible when you’ve chosen a small enough audience.
The thing is…
It feels safe to go big. To be as inclusive as possible. But your message will be a watered-down mess that nobody cares about.
(And you may spend years trying to figure out why.)
Remember. A laser-like focus on who you serve(help) and the specific results you help them achieve will give you a tremendous advantage.
Safe is risky.
To your success
Jesper
