Mackinac Island fudge. Cherry cordial. Moose tracks.
Enjoying my Mackinac Island fudge ice cream cone last summer.
My favorite three flavors of ice cream. Why do I like them?
Well, they all have chocolate in them, so that must be important to me. They all have bits of something to add texture, so that must be important to me. They’re all colorful, so that must be important to me.
They all are not vanilla ice cream. They’re all different.
And different is good. It’s why we buy the things we buy, choose the services or providers we choose, go the places we go, and eat the foods we eat.
If a company isn’t offering anything different, why would we go to it? We probably wouldn’t. We patronize those businesses and purchase products and services from companies that have learned to Stop Selling Vanilla Ice Cream.
Through my work with Weaving Influence, I’ve had the opportunity to read Steve Van Remortel’s book Stop Selling Vanilla Ice Cream: The Scoop on Increasing Profit by Differentiating Your Company through Strategy and Talent. Given that I’m not in a leadership role with any company at the moment, I would probably not have read the book otherwise.
But I’m so glad I have! I have found much value in Steve’s words and thoughts. A couple of key phrases pop out that can be applied to my personal life and my career, as well as any company striving for increased profitability through differentiation.
“Those Who Plan—PROFIT!®”
“If nothing ever changes…nothing will ever change.”
There are lots of books out there on differentiation, strategic planning, and talent management. What Stop Selling Vanilla Ice Cream offers is something different.
The process detailed in the book is that of simultaneously improving a company’s strategy and optimizing its talent to generate increased profitability. Differentiation is achieved by clearly defining the competencies that make the organization stand apart from the competition.
What makes this book, this process, stand apart from its competition? What is its Mackinac Island fudge, if you will? It’s this:
- Steve masterfully explains his Stop Selling Vanilla Ice Cream process in language we can all understand.
- Real-world application is reinforced through a true story case study of one of Steve’s clients.
- Resources such as templates, charts, assessments, and even phone numbers to speak with advisers are provided both in the book and online.
- Step-by-step action plans are provided at the end of each chapter.
- The owner of each book is also eligible to receive a complimentary behavioral assessment, including Behavioral Style and Personal Motivators with a 30-plus page report and interpretation guidance. This piece, in particular, is valuable to anyone’s career planning and development.
Whether you are the leader of an organization or an employee, there is valuable insight to be gained from Stop Selling Vanilla Ice Cream. I encourage you to add this book to your library – then come back and tell me what you thought.
Amy, Vice President of Operations, wife to one and mom of four. Amy’s first career was in retail management. After 20 years, she left to stay home full-time with her young children. Upon returning to the workforce in 2012, she joined Weaving Influence as a part time social media specialist and has fulfilled a variety of roles since then. Whether it’s a weekend in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula, or an extended trip to Hawaii, Amy’s favorite thing to do is to travel with her family.