The Chocolate Problem
November 2, 2009 Leave a comment
One of my favorite podcasts of all time is John Jantsch’s interview with WOM guru Andy Sernovitz.
One of the key takeaways from this podcast is what Andy calls the “Chocolate Problem”.
The problem with chocolate is that everybody already knows it’s good. You’re not going to call a friend and say “Hey, have you tried this thing called chocolate? It’s incredible.” Of course not! Everybody already knows that chocolate is incredible.
There is really no reason to talk about chocolate unless you stumble on a piece that is so remarkable that you must talk about it.
This too is the scenario that all good companies find themselves in. Your company might be good, but that’s not good enough. Like chocolate, everybody already knows that your company is good. You have to find a way to be remarkable, to give people a reason to talk.
For instance, Zappos is the largest online shoe store. They have a large selection and good 
prices. But they also are a customer focused company. They have established a culture that results in a remarkable customer experience. There employees go above and beyond for their customers. They offer free shipping both ways. And you can contact them by phone 24/7. 365 days a year. Now that’s remarkable.
Checkout Andy’s book Word of Mouth for more great insights. This book is a must read. It’s light on theory and heavy on simple ideas that can be implemented quickly.
