Modern Business Magazine July 2016 | Page 6

MODERN MARKETING Rise Above The Noise By Ian Altman When everyone in your industry is saying the same thing, doing ANTYHING different helps you stand out. If you are sick of shrinking margins, constant pricing pressure, extended sales cycles, and the feeling that you are viewed as a commodity, then invest time and resources to help you stand out from the noise. I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Joey Coleman, Chief Experience Composer at Design Symphony last week during a full- 6 ModernBusiness July 2016 day workshop called Experience Remarkable Growth. We were fortunate to have a full room of toptier professionals who were engaged the entire day. he showed. People started asking, “Where did you get it?” “How much is it?” Half of the room liked the idea so much, they wanted to do it, too. Not so fast. One of the topics was what an organization could do to stand out from the crowd. The theory is that when everyone in your industry is saying the same thing, doing ANYTHING different helps you stand out. One of the talented executives pointed to a promotional item that he developed for his clients that helps him stand out from the noise. The other participants loved the item The challenge with creating a unique concept is that you can’t start with the question, “What are others doing?” The only reason to ask that question is to know what to avoid. Years ago, my company attended a trade show for the pharmaceutical industry. It was a huge show, and we wanted to meet with the right people. So, we installed a popcorn machine