How to Be Remarkable And Get Noticed

Marketing guru and author Seth Godin tells his followers that being average in 2007 is unacceptable. The Guardian Unlimited lists "10 easy steps" from Godin on how to grow, how to stand out, get noticed and make a difference.

The article concentrates mostly in the work environment, but because I respect her opinion (she really does have a sharp mind) I took this a step further and discussed the idea of how a person can get noticed in their everyday life with my long time friend Carol Burgin Martin.

Being remarkable according to Godin:

1. Understand the urgency of the situation. The only way to grow is to abandon your strategy of doing what you did yesterday, but better. Commit.

2. Remarkable doesn't mean remarkable to you. It means remarkable to me. Am I going to make a remark about it? If not, then you're average, and average is for losers.

3. Being noticed is not the same as being remarkable. Running down the street naked will get you noticed, but it won't accomplish much.

4. Extremism in the pursuit of remarkability is no sin. In fact, it's practically a requirement.

5. Remarkability lies in the edges. The biggest, fastest, slowest, richest, easiest, most difficult. It doesn't always matter which edge, more that you're at (or beyond) the edge.

6. Not everyone appreciates your efforts to be remarkable. In fact, most people don't. So what? Most people are ostriches, heads in the sand, unable to help you anyway.

7. If it's in a manual, if it's the accepted wisdom, if you can find it in a Dummies book, then guess what? It's boring, not remarkable. Part of what it takes to do something remarkable is to do something first and best. Roger Bannister was remarkable. The next guy, the guy who broke Bannister's record wasn't. He was just faster ... but it doesn't matter.

8. It's not really as frightening as it seems. They keep the masses in line by threatening them (us) with all manner of horrible outcomes if we dare to step out of line. But who loses their jobs at the mass layoffs? Who has trouble finding a new gig? Not the remarkable minority, that's for sure.

9. If you put it on a T-shirt, would people wear it? No use being remarkable at something that people don't care about. Not ALL people, mind you, just a few. A few people insanely focused on what you do is far far better than thousands of people who might be mildly interested, right?

10. What's fashionable soon becomes unfashionable. While you might be remarkable for a time, if you don't reinvest and reinvent, you won't be for long. Instead of resting on your laurels, you must commit to being remarkable again quite soon.

Kobina and Carol on getting noticed

CBM - You know what is funny? For some reason I have always gotten noticed, even when I didn't want to. I would attribute it to a few things.

1. Always smile. The idea that smiling and laughter are contagious is entirely true. I have never heard anyone say, he has such a horrible smile. Have you? (I have heard people say someone has a jacked up grill, but in that case you smile without showing any teeth...hee hee). Smiling is what caused my husband to notice me, and we have been smiling at each other for nearly 10 years.

2. Walk or sit with good posture. Although you will get noticed for having bad posture, if you sit upright, or walk with straight shoulders and your head to the sky, people will take notice.

3. Be upfront. Now, in this case, I do not mean be forthcoming, I mean, sit as close to the front as you can. Most people have a tendency to try to sit in the back of a room, but when you sit front and center, you get more out of the event you are attending, and more often than not, it will become an interactive experience.

4. Be attentive. If you give people your undivided attention, they will give you their undivided attention in return. Many times I have been in a lecture or performance situation, and because I looked interested and alert, the presenter spoke to me as if I was the only person in attendance.

5. Look your best, and let your personality and individuality show. Even if you are not dressed in top of the line designer wear, DO YOU!,...flaunt what you have. Know your best features and accentuate them. Rock a style that's all your own...or Rock what's hot, but add your own flair. Find a way to stand out in a crowd.

KW - You know, I haven't heard anyone say that anyone had a horrible smile either. I've heard of a "goofy" smile, or a "fake" smile, or "silly" smile... I've even heard of a "stupid" grin... but of course those are in different context. Never a "horrible" one.

Oh and I know what you're talking about sitting up close... it reminds me of the days when we used to go to Fat Tuesdays and sit darn near on stage just so that the comedians would notice us and talk about us... wow... those were the days.

CBM - That is actually where I pulled my references from.

I dont think that anyone knows how it used to be for us. hee hee. No matter where we went...center of attention.

I will work on the next 5 today.

Do you have 5?

KW - Here's five from me:

1. Be confident. I'm not talking about that fake confidence either... the kind that people throw around trying to convince themselves and other people of who they may or may not be. When a person is confident, it exudes from their pores and can be seen in every single mannerism when they think no one is watching. It's like a glow people just can't ignore.

2. Take care of yourself. People can get noticed for all sorts of things, but we want to be noticed for the positive right? Right. So - I guess this goes along the lines of looking your best, like you said earlier. But I think you were talking about how you're dressed... to me that includes taking care of your skin, your teeth, your hair, your nails - overall grooming including SHOWERING!

3. Do something. Not talking about shaving your head into a mohawk either, because as far as I'm concerned, that's doing nothing. Doing something is being productive instead of taking up space on this planet. When you're out doing great things, how could people not notice you?

4. Learn how to communicate. That includes sending AND receiving messages. Listening AND talking. When you have this skill down, I believe you can move mountains!

5. Ask for what you want. Whether it's from God or from people, that fact that you WANT something and are pursuing it begs recognition.