Seth Godin – oh, how I like to read this man’s words – recently wrote that you want to be someone that people seek out. You don’t want to be a person/company that just fits in. This isn’t the way to make an impact on the world.

There are three things you can do to build a good reputation: 1) When someone asks a question, give them more answer than they expect, 2) When working on a project with a client, make your plans scary (in a good and exciting way), 3) Do what you say you’ll do.

Let’s talk about Godin’s suggestions.

First, give bigger answers than expected. There’s a lot to be said for going the extra mile. It means a lot to a client when you not only answer the question they originally asked, but also work to answers the follow up questions they might have before they ask them.

Second, we’re constantly told to make goals that will stretch us. If goals are to easy, they won’t motivate us. If they’re too big, the might stretch us to the point of breaking. No point in doing that. But goals that stretch us just right can be scary in their own right. These are the kind of plans that Godin suggests: just-right-scary-goals.

Third, finish what you start. This should go without saying. But the sad truth is that people don’t finish. Many times, they think they’re done, but in actuality, they’ve only completed a draft. A draft isn’t a complete project.

Boring people fit in. Are you boring? You probably don’t think of yourself as boring. But, still your projects might be boring. Keep in mind that people don’t talk about boring. They talk about exciting.

Recently, we were looking for a Trampoline and Tumbling gymnastics team for my son. We called several places. One stood out. Comparing this gym to Godin’s criteria, we can see why they stood out.

The first impression was a good one: they called us back. This is HUGE! A quick callback cannot be underestimated. When you don’t call back, people choose other companies.

Then to answer our questions, they invited us in for a tour with the team coach. During the tour, he answered all of our questions and even invited us to a two-week free trial period. Now that’s giving a bigger answer than expected.

The coach also laid out a training program that would stretch our son, and scared us just enough. We knew this is exactly what we needed. It wasn’t overwhelming, but something we would have to work at.

To demonstrate the gym’s success, they showed us the accomplishments of past athlete’s. This was all of the convincing that we needed.

Godin knows what he’s talking about. If you don’t follow his suggestions, you do so at your own peril.

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