Do you know Jerry Murrell?
If not, no worries.
He’s not in movies or on the cover of magazines. Matter of fact, most people don’t know who he is.
But they do know his burger.
Jerry Murrell is the founder of the hugely popular Five Guys burger restaurant.
But when he started, people thought he wouldn’t last…
You see, McDonald’s was HUGE at the time (still is, obviously).
And McDonald’s was known for the quick and “cheap” burger.
Well, Five Guys was not cheap…and not to mention most people couldn’t even find the restaurant.
Unlike McDonald’s with the tall “Golden Arches” that you can see from a mile away.
Five Guys was off the beaten path, tucked away in an area that wasn’t visible while driving.
So how on earth did Five Guys “make it” and become a massively successful burger business??
One word…
Product.
When a product is great, people are willing to drive, fly, or walk for miles and miles and spend countless hours waiting in line.
Think about it…
Why do people wait for days for the new Apple iPhone??
You can call them “sheeple” all you want ( and I do!)
but it really comes down to the excellent product and service offered.
This isn’t a knock against McDonalds.
They offer a product that’s pretty good to. Most would not say that McDondalds offers anything that taste the best
(except for those delicious french fries…I swear they are laced with crack or something)
But they also offer something the market thinks its great.
Affordability and convenient locations.
No matter what niche you get into, make sure you are the master at one thing that will help you stand apart.
Be 5 guys, be McDonalds, Be Burger King or In n out burger (for my west coast friends)
The key is to be different from everyone else!
Even with our example of burgers, you can see how 5 fast food chains offer basically the same product, but they all feel feel very different!
You would go to these places for different reasons, even though they offer the same basic menu.
See what tiny difference you offer the marketplace, and build your brand around that.
Often being the best is not enough and most people tend not to care!
To help you, think of how you can be different in your field with by asking yourself some of these questions:
- Am I the fastest?
- Am I the slowest
- Do I have my own twist on a classic?
- Is this a new product the world hasn’t seen before?
- What do i offer that the competition doesn’t (even if that difference is minor)
- What do I do that others are afraid or is not willing to do?
You can go on and on and on.
Doing this will get you on the path to help you stand out and build your brand in the marketplace.