There are a few amazing people in every industry who see the writing on the wall long before anyone else. Seth Godin is one of those marketing visionaries. I admire Godin because he has a spine. His opinion is not always popular. It is usually controversial and inconvenient. Godin's bestselling book, Purple COW, explores the why, the what, and the how of being remarkable in business. Although this book was published in 2003, the message seems almost more important and relevant for business management and marketing today.

Godin's main purpose is to stress that the rules of marketing have changed. In the past, pricing, positioning, promotion, publicity... were boxes you could check off and be relatively assured that your business would succeed. That is no longer the case.

Godin focuses on the need for the "X" factor (or really a "P" factor) in any successful marketing equation. The "P" stands for Purple Cow. He makes the analogy of driving by field after field of cows. They all start looking alike. There is nothing that makes any one cow stand out from the rest. "We've created a world where most products are invisible," Godin says. "A Purple Cow, though. Now that would be interesting." Today's market place is like those fields of cows- noisy and crowded. Consumers are easily distracted, and they have become better and better at ignoring mass media. Reaching a target market takes unconventional thinking and purple cows.

Godin proposes that the new rule in business marketing is to create remarkable products that the right people desire. He asserts that better marketing will not fix a boring product that does not address a real need or niche market. Godin agrees that it is marketing's job to market; but, it's the company's job to put its agenda aside and create products that consumers actually want them to create.

For example, Godin profiles Dutch Boy, Inc. He notes, "It's so easy. They simply changed the can. Paint cans are heavy, hard to carry, hard to open, hard to close and always messy. People don't buy paint. They buy painted walls. This is marketing done right. The marketer changes the product not the ads." Dutch Boy simply and brilliantly added at twist off lid, a side handle and a spout.

He requests that if you are "...making very good stuff ─ that you should stop as fast as you can. Very good is an everyday occurrence and hardly worth mentioning." He presses the point with a classic example of Vanilla Ice Cream. "Vanilla ice cream is safe. But vanilla is boring. You can't build a fast growing company around vanilla. In almost every market- the boring slot is filled. Will you market yourself as blander than the leading bland brand?  The real growth comes with products that annoy, offend, don't appeal, are too expensive, too cheap, too complicated, too simple, too something."

There are plenty of remarkable ideas, Godin asserts. It is the will to execute them that is in short supply. As the world becomes more turbulent, more and more people seek safety. Being remarkable involves risk. In today's corporate lexicon, risk equal failure.

Here are some key Seth-isms:

1. If your product cannot stand up to the "so what" factor, abandon it.
   
2. Ideas that spread win. Call them "ideaviruses"─like social media today "sneezers" (early adopters) are the key to spreading ideaviruses. Every market has a few "sneezers."
   
3. Your company can't thrive by fulfilling basic, boring needs. Connect with passionate early adopters and make them to sneeze. Example: L.L. Bean can sell mail-order clothes to people who don't trust mail order. It's the guarantee that makes it work. Take a pair of pants, light them on fire, send in the ashes, and L.L. Bean will refund your money. Stories like that make it easy for a sneezer to spread the word.
   
4. Niche targeting is the key to success. The everybody products are already taken.
   
5. If someone in your company is charged with creating a purple cow, stay out of their way. Do not pester them. You will delay the purple cow if not kill it altogether.

Pink Penguin Solutions is excited to be working with Charlie Van Hecke and SalesTrainer4U. Charlie Van Hecke is fast becoming known as the "Olympic Coach of Sales." He has made it his personal career mission to understand the psychology and strategy behind the sales process from start to finish.

From entry level positions to C.E.O., Charlie has been on the phone, across the desk, in the trenches, and on the front line, analyzing every angle of this challenging yet fascinating industry.

Charlie's career journey includes formally serving as Manager of Sales Education with Dictaphone at Pitney Bowes' World Headquarters. He served as C.E.O. of Sales Support Services there as well. His talents caught the eye of #1 Internet forerunner America Online where he was asked to lead as Director of Sales Education.

From individuals to groups to organizations,Charlie works well in a variety of settings. He knows how to make the sales and negotiation process personal for each individual. In short, he is the master of sharing with people how to capture sales lightening in a bottle.

From sales negotiation training to sales management training, Charlie's programs teach how to develop Olympic style success habits that will increase revenue and profitability. He has worked for and consulted with companies throughout the Southeast as well as nationwide, including Kemper, Lanier, ImproMed and dozens of small business owners.

He is married to Lisa, his partner and best friend. They have two beautiful children and currently reside in Charlottesville, West Virginia.