How do you position your product or service in a way that not only grabs attention but also wins over the right customers? The answer lies in a counterintuitive truth: You don’t need everyone to love you. In fact, trying to appeal to everyone is often the fastest way to become forgettable. Instead, you want to be essential to the right people; people who see your product or service and think, “This is exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
This idea is perfectly captured by Grateful Dead guitarist Gerry Garcia’s famous quote about The Grateful Dead’s decades-long success: “We’re like licorice. Not everyone likes licorice, but people who like licorice really like licorice.” When you’re positioning your product or service, your goal isn’t universal appeal—it’s resonance with your ideal customers.
The Danger of Being Vanilla
In the quest for market share, many companies dilute what makes their offerings unique. They want to be approachable, broadly appealing, and safe. But what happens when you strip away the edges and eccentricities that set you apart? You become just another option, not the only option.
Your Unique Edge: The Unmatched “Something”
To stand out, you need to answer one question: What does your product or service do for customers that no other product or service can? This is your unique edge. It might be:
- Help them earn more money
- Help them reduce costs
- Help them reduce risk
Your unique edge isn’t just what makes you better—it’s what makes you different. If you’re selling a software tool, for example, is it the fastest, the most intuitive, or the only one specifically designed for a niche audience? The clearer and more specific you are, the easier it becomes for your ideal customers to self-select you as their solution.
The Risk of Polarization—and Why It’s Worth It
When you create a message about your uniqueness, you’re bound to turn some people off. And that’s okay. Polarization is a sign that you’re doing something right. The people who aren’t for you will move on, leaving more space for the ones who will see your product or service as indispensable.
Remember, you don’t want every customer—you want the right customers. And the right customers don’t just buy your product—they become loyal advocates.
How to Be the Licorice of Your Market
- Know Your Core Audience Who are the people who really “get” your product? These are the customers who experience the most value from what you offer and are most likely to become repeat buyers or champions for your brand.
- Define Your Unique Edge What’s the one thing you do that no one else does? Focus on that and amplify it. Don’t try to be everything to everyone—be everything to the right ones.
- Embrace What Makes You Different Your quirks, edges, or unconventional approach might alienate some—but they’ll endear you to your tribe. Be proud to be “licorice” in a world full of “vanilla.”
- Communicate Clearly If your customers don’t know what makes you unique, they’ll compare you on price alone—and that’s a race to the bottom. Make your unique edge part of your story, marketing, and messaging.
- Deliver on Your Promise Once customers take the leap, make sure your product or service exceeds expectations. Build loyalty by showing your customers that their trust in your unique edge is justified.
The Bottom Line
In a crowded marketplace, the goal isn’t to be loved by everyone—it’s to be indispensable to the few who matter most. When you position your product or service as the only one that can deliver something truly unique, you stop competing and start leading.
Don’t be afraid to be licorice. The people who like licorice will choose you every time.