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  • 1.  Seth's Blog : "This is mediocre"

    Posted 10-14-2019 07:26
    Edited by Bob Monte 10-14-2019 07:28

    I'm a big fan of Seth Godin whose books and writings are short, to the point and very insightful.
    No matter your industry or career he does not disappoint. Noteworthy reads are Purple Cow, Tribes and Linchpin.

    I felt today's blog post worth sharing. After all, who wants to settle for mediocre? Be exceptional, and they will pay for it.


    "This is Mediocre"
    Large organizations seek to decrease variability.

    Starbucks wants the very best latte you buy from them to be exactly the same as the worst one.

    If you define a spec and work hard to meet it, you can make it so that most things are within a reasonable distance of that spec. Which means that most of what you make is average.

    If an entire industry is busy seeking to meet that average, we can define that work as mediocre. Not horrible, but certainly not exceptional (because 'exception' -al is self-explanatory).

    When you go out to buy aluminum siding, copywriting or consulting services, you have a choice: You can demand that the work meets the industry spec, a fair product at a fair price. Or, you can seek something better than average, something worth paying extra for.

    Most TV ads, most car services, most airplane flights–they're mediocre. That's a choice.

    If you want to buy creative work that's exceptional, you'll need to pay for it (and accept the risk that it might not work out as planned).


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    Bob Monte
    Strategic Account Manager
    EFI
    Austin TX
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  • 2.  RE: Seth's Blog : "This is mediocre"

    Posted 10-14-2019 11:19
    Edited by Dan Marx 10-14-2019 11:32
    Thanks for posting this. As printing companies look for ways to differentiate, there is much to consider here. Reminds me of the quote from Oscar Wilde, "Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative."

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    Dan Marx
    Director of Content Development
    Specialty Graphic Imaging Assn
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  • 3.  RE: Seth's Blog : "This is mediocre"

    Posted 10-15-2019 10:07
    Thank you for sharing. This pairs nicely with recent conversations I've had with our team about how we can differentiate ourselves from others.

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    April Steele
    Director of Sales Ops/AGM
    April Steele
    Chattanooga TN
    (423) 351-3767
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