“Your brand sucks,” is one of the worst versions of feedback one can get.
Yet, every day, inferior products outperform superior products.
Inferior professionals outperform superior professionals.
Inferior services outperform superior services.
HOW is this possible?
You’re blowing a lot of hot air while getting a big head in the process.
Brand Rehab: Stop Drinking Your Brand’s Koolaid and Start Getting Sober
Here’s the reality: your brand either sucks a lot. Or a little. Or not at all.
No other options.
And you are not the one who determines that.
It’s your public and those you serve who determine that.
By understanding this sequence, you’ll know how intoxicated you are with your brand’s Koolaid, and how close you are to “being sober” with the realities of your brand.
I cover this sequence in this week’s One Minute Wednesday:
5 Mistakes to Stop Doing Right Now (Ignore These and You Already Suck — or Will Very Soon)
- You’re soft-pedaling your brand. STOP that right now. Be all in and do whatever it takes to fill the shoes of awesomeness.
- You’re making excuses instead of fulfilling promises. STOP making excuses and for every excuse, replace with an internal demand of how.
- You’re shooting for delivering “OK” service and products. DOA. Growth only occurs under amazing service and astonishing products that anticipate your customer’s needs.
- You’re planning for now, and not for the future. STOP thinking small. Period.
- You’re not prepared to pivot and adapt and love your solution more than you love your customer’s needs. STOP this right now or close the doors.
More Ways to Avoid Hearing “Your Brand Sucks”
There are those who are way below the lowest level of this scale.
Here’s the basic scale:
How low can this go?
Well, there are three levels lower:
- I suck and I don’t know it. (bad)
- I suck yet think I’m great. (worse)
- Others suck. (worst)
You can see it here:
Next Steps
This scale can help isolate where your brand is in terms of “accountability” and “ownership” of your brand’s fate.
Whether you’re a startup, an existing brand, or going through a mid-life crisis as a brand, this will help you.
Use it to grow and “smell the coffee” by taking a sober look at what your brand is really doing.
Stumped? Let’s talk. Why? Because you really don’t suck as much as you might think and you can rise up this scale faster than a toupee in a hurricane.