A little thing. A big effect.

I didn’t know it at the time but the world as I knew it ended that day.

The day Tide Detergent dissed All Detergent.

I was young, I must have been about 10 or 11 but I had grown up in an unusual household. I was watching something on TV and a new Tide commercial came on. Instead of telling me how wonderful Tide was, the announcer told me how much better than All that Tide was.

Now, this may have been done before but not very often. You sold your stuff based on the strength of it’s features and benefits. You didn’t mention the competition much less say bad things about them.

It just wasn’t done.

Even at my young age I knew I didn’t like it. If felt wrong. I felt dirty.

Now we think nothing of the company that sells it’s wares by telling us how bad the competition is. Perhaps political campaigns are the most glaring examples but “everyone” is doing it. And we don’t notice it anymore.

And it still feels wrong.

And I still feel dirty.

Don’t do it.

Whatever your product or service is, sell it based on it’s value and based on yours.

Am I saying to ignore the competition? Yep.

If you truly have a good product or service then don’t worry about them. Just Do It! And let the marketplace decide.

What’s at stake?

Integrity.