Sunday, I was cleaning out my unread email messages when I came across the following from Seth Godin:

Almost no one

There’s a huge difference between “no one” and “almost no one”.yoursigncw

Almost no one is going to hire you.

Almost no one is going to become a true fan.

Almost no one is going to tell someone else about your work.

Almost no one is going to push you to make your work ever better.

If only 1% of the US population steps up, that’s 3,000,000 people in the category of “almost no one.”

If only one out of 10,000 internet users engages with you, that’s still hundreds of thousands of people.

The chances that everyone is going to applaud you, never mind even become aware you exist, are virtually nil. Most brands and organizations and individuals that fail fall into the chasm of trying to be all things in order to please everyone, and end up reaching no one.

That’s the wrong thing to focus on. Better to focus on and delight almost no one.

While Seth was talking primarily about online stuff, it applies to all aspects of life.

In a competitive world, it might be nice to be liked by everyone, but it will not happen.  As a business, you will only get a fraction of the potential customers you could serve.

Sunday as I was reading the Seth Godin email and writing what you are reading right now, I was sitting at the Firefly Coffee in the 3500 block of North Anthony in Fort Wayne. This place has been around for 15 years or so and is one of a handful of places on this block you can get a cup of coffee including another coffee shop a couple doors down!

The radio station I work for, WOWO, has over 100,000 people who listen every week.  Not one of my advertising partners (with the exception of McDonald’s) could handle that many customers in one week.

One final thought.

And this is about attitude.  Your Attitude.

Before you get upset that “everyone” doesn’t like you, be sure to cherish those that do like you and let them know that they are important.  Be grateful for the customers you have and take good care of them.  Then as you gain more and more, continue that grateful attitude with actions.