The appliances in my kitchen annoy the hell out of me. They all make the same beeping sound. Different appliances, different manufacturers, same beep.
It can be insanely disorienting to fix breakfast in the morning. The toaster oven beeps to tell me it is done toasting, the refrigerator beeps because someone left the door ajar, the microwave beeps to let me know my tea is ready–often in unison, like a chorus of screeching robots. “Wake up, stupid human! Beep! Beeeeeeeep!”
In a pre-caffienated haze it’s almost impossible to tell which one is trying to get my attention. To make things worse, the designers felt I didn’t need the option to adjust the alarm volume or turn it off. That’s some fine designin’.
Do you sound just like everyone else in your industry?
If you do it’s harder for customers to find you. You’re an indistinguishable part of the noise, one note in a symphony, one voice in a very loud crowd. You might as well be silent. Same thing.
If your market beeps maybe you should hum or whistle or burp instead.
If you must sound like your competition because you’re too scared (or too lazy) to change, at least sound more appealing, more attractive, more interesting. Being louder isn’t enough.
Better yet, make a noise in your market that no one has ever heard before. Listen carefully, it should be obvious what tone will help you stand out. Your competition is willfully ignoring it. It’s yours to make (and claim) if you want to.
Whatever you do, don’t sound like everyone else.
Sure, it’s difficult. Unique is expensive. So is conformity.
Beep!
