Gimmicks

Along the way, some people in search of the remarkable have resorted to gimmicks to get the word out about their work. Gimmicks might work fine if you run a chain of fast food restaurants or a website, but gimmicks certainly get in the way of building a reputation if you're a lawyer or a doctor.

So, where to draw the line?

If a product or service adds value for the consumer, it's not a gimmick. Toll free customer support, for example, was seen as a gimmick when it came out in the 1960s. At least by competitors. Now, of course, it's required.

Banks open on Sundays? Well, it seems like a gimmick at first, until customers realize that they can't live without it. Then it's not a gimmick any longer.

Or consider a doctor who has completely reinvented the way he practices medicine. If it works, it won't be a gimmick. Because both sides with benefit, for the long haul.

As you sit down to consider ways to be more remarkable, the challenge is to be worth talking about... at the same time you are adding value for the person who's talking about you.