What's Your Noticeable Number?

I've been wearing a nametag 24-7 for the past 2,499 days. That's my Noticeable Number. It's noticeable in a conversation. It's noticeable in an interview. It's noticeable during a speech. It's noticeable in a book. It's noticeable in an article. It's noticeable in a blog post. It's noticeable on a website. It's noticeable in marketing materials. First, let's talk about the WHY. And in my experience, I've found seven benefits of having a Noticeable Number: 1. Remarkability. People tell their friends about it. Because it's cool. Because it's intriguing. And because it's worth making a remark about. 2. Memorability. It stands out. During a conversation, for example, a Noticeable Number tends to be the most memorable item. 3. Credibility. Which comes from specificity. For example, which sounds more convincing: "I've read a whole lot of books on stress management," or "I've read over 1800 books on stress management"? 4. Commitment. Your Noticeable Number is an observable way to reinforce your dedication. And in a business culture where trust and integrity are at an all-time low, actions that validate your commitment are priceless. 5. Differentiation. It distinguishes you in an otherwise crowded marketplace. 6. Expertise. It's the answer to the question, "So, what makes YOU the expert?" This is especially valuable when working with (and attracting) the media. 7. Revisitability. Noticeable Numbers make customers want to check in with you (or your website) every once in a while (or, hopefully every day!) just to see where your number is at now. REMEMBER: websites are like newspapers - customers don't want to read it if it's two years old. How often is YOUR website updated? OK! Now, let's talk about the WHAT. This is a list of several Noticeable Number examples (some are real, some I just made up): o Dave has 4,000 hours of practice! o Aqua Fin is being used in 137 countries! o Lambert's Café has thrown over 13,457,991 rolls! o Over 3,000,000 copies in print! o Reprinted in 17 languages! o McDonald's has sold over 205 billion hamburgers! o Dr. Jameson has spoken to over 300,000 students! o Dane Cook has 1,982,811 MySpace friends! Lastly, let's talk about the HOW: The last step is to get the maximum mileage out of yours. Remember these four keys: o ASK yourself two questions: "What's the most remarkable/unique thing about my business?" and then, "How could I quantify that in a remarkable way? o RECORD your number in a journal or online counter. Be meticulous. After all, if you don't write it down, it never happened! o PUBLISH your number on your websites, blogs, marketing materials and the like. Be sure to update it regularly. o LEVERAGE your number by peppering it into conversations, interviews, blog posts, articles, or any other form of communication. NOTE: no need to make a big deal about it. You don't want to come off as arrogant. Once you discover and leverage your Noticeable Number, you WILL get them to come to you. "Them" meaning old customers. "Them" meaning new customers. "Them" meaning the media. REMEMBER: people who get noticed get remembered; and people who get remembered get business. LET ME ASK YA THIS... What's your Noticeable Number?