I Think, Therefore I POD

No, not the IPOD gadget you use to listen to your favorite tunes.

I'm talking about POD - Point of Distinction.

What is one specific thing you do differently from your peers? What is an area of speciality no one else in your industry offers?

That is your Point of Distinction, and it determines whether you stand out from the crowd or get lost in the crowd.

WASH radio station was losing marketshare so they studied their competition. One thing they noticed was many stations played the same top 40 hits over and over. They decided to "Do the opposite, not the obvious" and became the "Do Not Repeat After Me" station. They NEVER play the same song twice during working hours. By offering a refreshing alternative, they dramatically increased their fanbase.

A restaurant in Virginia wasn't drawing many people to their happy hour. Why? Dozens of establishments in a 3 mile radius were also offering happy hours.

Their smart restaurant manager noticed a customer had tied his dog up outside while he came in for a beer. Hmmm. Why not invite professionals to bring along their loyal pooches who had been cooped up all day while their owners were at work? The restaurant could give out dog buscuits and put out water bowls for Fido and Fifi so when people took their dog for a walk, they could both stop in for a cold one.

What to call this unique offering? Well, take Happy Hour (what I call a "Core Word") and run it through the alphabet. What do you come up with?

Yappy Hour!

Voila! That clever name tripled the restaurant's business and got them a front page story in the Washington Post. The article was then picked up by many newspapers around the country which means millions of people now know about this restaurant's unique offering -- all because the quick-thinking manager identified and capitalized on a POD by creating a clever name that catapulted his restaurant into the national spotlight.

Want to learn how you can identify your POD and catapult your organization or offering into the national spotlight? Buy "POP! stand out in any crowd to learn 25 specific ways to break out instead of blend in.

Also, visit www.SamHornPOP.com to see when I'll be speaking in your area. I'm in the middle of a 20 city media tour. Chances are, I'll be in your area soon. I would enjoy meeting you and having a chance to brainstorm an attention-grabbing title or tagline that helps you stand out from the crowd.