You’ve heard the saying, “A jack of all trades but master of none.” Success on the internet, and off, is largely dependent on how tightly focused you are; focus well and you’ll prosper, focus poorly and you’ll likely go out of business.
The days where you can be all things to all people has gone the way of the dodo. Consider the success of the following companies as an illustration of the rewards waiting those who focus best:
Google – focuses on search – they own that space and have won it with focus.
Amazon – focuses on books — yeah, they sell other stuff too but their focus on being the book seller to the world is what got them where they are.
Apple – focuses on ‘cool’ — they build cool products that appeal to cool people. They could never out geek Microsoft but they’re winning the war on their ‘cool’ factor.
Starbucks – focuses on coffee — and the multiple permutations thereof that they’ve been able to dream up.
Wal-Mart – focuses on price — the largest selection at the lowest price. They’ve rolled over all of their competition except those who’ve chosen to compete with them with focus. They’ve focused on a niche and provide service and expertise in that niche that a behemoth like Wal-Mart can’t begin to touch. You ever see any five and dime or family department stores anymore? No; they lost focus and were runover by Wal-Mart and its big box brethren.
The most successful clients I work with have the tightest focus. They intimately understand the niche they occupy and work with dedication to own it.
A recently launched website profiled in the local newspaper, www.myplanafter50.com, is focusing exclusively on baby boomers. They’re going after the fastest growing segment of internet users with some of the deepest pockets anywhere by presenting themselves as the go-to resource for life decisions after 50. With focus, they stand a good chance to succeed.
One of my oldest clients, Eric Chester, has established himself as the leading authority on intergenerational work force issues by focusing on Gen Y’s (he’s even coined his own term for these youngest of employees, Generation Why; referring to their tendency to not accept direction dociley but always ask ‘why?‘.
Eric made the transition from another ‘me-too’ high school motivational speaker to in-demand corporate keynoter and consultant by realizing that the same struggles he faced in motivating his young audiences were being faced by work place employers every day and with substantially less success than he was enjoying.
Focus, you’ll be happy that you did and a lot more prosperous to boot.
