Dip Skinny

Published

15 years ago

July 2, 2008

The secret to outperforming your rivals

I READ A BOOK RECENTLY called The Dip. It wasn’t a particularly good book ? another quickie by Seth Godin, who used to publish excellent books very infrequently, but now publishes average books on a much more frequent basis.

The title refers to a pattern that occurs in most people’s careers, and most individual projects they take on during their careers. There’s an initial burst of energy, and then a fall ? which might be a ?dip,? in which case your challenge is to work through it, or a ?cliff,? which means you’re in a failing business no amount of effort will help succeed. In which case, you should quit. Yes, quit. Run away as fast as you can.

But most jewelers aren’t facing cliffs ? you’re dealing with dips. Every business does. But few recognize ?The Dip? as an opportunity to turn your business into something very special and put distance between yourself and your rivals.

Every time you get tired or bored or feel ready to settle for something less than your ultimate ambition, remember ?The Dip.? And remember that performing at your very best when you least feel like it is the best way to differentiate yourself from all the companies out there that don’t. Inspire yourself by imagining ?The Dip? as a barrier to entry for all the companies that don’t have your energy.

When exercising, it’s that very last repetition where you work the muscle to failure that provides 90 percent of your muscle growth. Same goes for your business. Work those retail muscles to failure and grow, grow, grow.

Wishing you the very best business …

David Squires
Executive Editor and Associate Publisher
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Wilkerson Testimonials

Wilkerson: “They Feel Like Family”

Newton’s Jewelers in Fort Smith, Ark., was a true institution. But after being at the helm for most of his life, owner (and descendent of the original founder) Kelly Newton decided it was time to retire. He chose Wilkerson to handle the sale. “I’ve known the owners of Wilkerson for a long, long time. I felt at home with them,” he says. The final retirement sale was just a “blast” and the Wilkerson sales team made it so very simple and straightforward, says Newton. Would he recommend Wilkerson to others? Absolutely. “They’ve done incredible work,” says Newton. “They feel like family.”