Last Sunday morning over breakfast my wife and I were talking about podcasts. She said something that struck a chord.
She said, “I really don’t understand why podcasters play a jingle at the start of their podcast. It’s annoying. We want to just get into the knowledge and hear what’s going on.”
There I am nodding but thinking Whoops! That’s exactly what I do in my Marketing 24-7 podcasts.
I have about 152 episodes and I have always had the same jingle upfront. It may have let you go off and get a cup of tea while it’s playing! That’s not how it works and that is not the reason why you listen to my podcast.
This really got me thinking.
Recently I have finished writing an E-Book which has evolved into a training course for entrepreneurs. What I have done over the years is I have analysed my most successful clients that are self-made entrepreneurs. I was able to produce 32 key triggers of their behaviour.
In the course, I outline how you can use these triggers and apply them in your life then your own entrepreneurial success will grow as a consequence.
In the E-book that I wrote, that is called the 7 Trigger Marketing Guide to Fast Money and Entrepreneurial Success – the first 7 triggers are the marketing triggers.
Ironically, trigger number 2 is called defy industry norms. Standout! Become a Maverick and don’t do what everybody else does.
I stopped, paused and thought, why have I got a jingle at the start of my podcast?
Going back to my podcast’s backstory, you do what all good people do.
Just like when they go to a brand-new school: where you have a look at what all the cool kids do. And as long as you do what the cool kids do, you don’t get picked on. The same goes if you’re going to a business for the first time, you have a look at what all the cool people are doing, and then you do it too.
For example, every real estate agent has a picture on their business card on the right-hand corner. Why? Because someone who was successful did it way back and now everyone thinks you have to do it that way.
I’m advocating and the entrepreneurs that I work with that are the most successful, not to follow these industry norms. Instead look to break them.
Now back to my podcast, I had looked at what all the cool kids did.
I had to look at what Gary V did, Russell Brunson, Anthony Robbins did. They’ve all got a jingle upfront so I put a jingle upfront.
Not anymore! I will no longer have a jingle upfront. The more I think about it, the less needed it actually is because if I put my tens of thousands of listeners’ hats on, I know you’re busy. So do you really need it? The answer is No.
I also know that a lot of you just use the 15-second fast forward button. That’s what I usually do when I listen to podcasts. For my regulars, how many times do you need to hear the same ridiculous message? Have you memorised it already? You obviously don’t need it.
And if you are like me and my wife, Darlene, you just want to get straight into the information. You don’t need the branding.
I urge you now to just consider what I’ve done. This is a dramatic change to my podcast. I don’t think it will have one iota impact on losing listeners and might even keep listeners because I’m getting straight to the juice.
What do you do in your business that you simply do because everybody else does it?
If it’s of no value and actually debilitating to value, then I suggest you get rid of it.
In fact, I go, as far as to say, the more business norms you break in terms of your industry, the more successful you’ll be.
It will make you stand out as being unique and different.
I got this from Dan Kennedy. He’s got this program called the Seven Figure Academy. If you can find it online I suggest you get it. This is something I listen to every year.
One of the things he says about industry norms is that if you think about norms, 1% of the US population gets mega-rich. A further 4% achieve financial security and independence. This amounts to only 5% of the US population. This means that 95% of people in America are not mega-rich nor financially secure nor independent.
I’m going to argue that the statistics in Australia are probably somewhat the same. Therefore 95% of the people around you have the wrong thoughts about money, business, advertising, and more particularly the wrong thoughts about marketing.
So if industry norms think putting a jingle upfront because you have to, if they were right then the percentages would be the other way around. Basing it on the 5% with the wealth and 95% without.
Therefore, following norms or averages is just going to keep you and your business normal or average. Instead, think about how you can stand out from your competition.
Probably the best way is to look at an industry norm and do things differently!
Like me, from now on thanks to my wife. No more jingles upfront.
By the way, if you want to know more about that product, visit PeterGianoli.com/Fast-Money.
Thanks for listening and bye for now. Here’s the jingle.
