Be Bold Like a Q-Tip®

I couldn’t stop laughing recently when I bought some Q-tips, flipped over the package and read the marketing copy:

Q-tips® cotton swabs are the Ultimate Home and Beauty Tool.

C’mon. It’s cotton. On a stick.

Without reservation, they make this bold claim*.

And yet every day I run into business owners who downplay how they talk about their work, for fear of being accused of exaggerating, bragging or over-promising.

They tend to call this “being humble.”

But the truth is when you play small, you shut down possibilities.

Got that?

You’re shutting down possibilities.

Ask yourself…

By playing small, what possibilities do you shut down for yourself?

And if that doesn’t get you motivated, then how about this question…

By playing small, what possibilities do you shut down for others?

Ouch. (yes, I know how to hit givers where it hurts)

So here’s my suggestion: when you talk about your business, when you create your messaging, shift your thinking from “making promises” to “opening up possibilities.”

You can even tape a Q-tip to your desk to remind you. ?

* Funnily enough, this claim isn’t actually over-stating things. They provided a list of uses, and the possibilities are quite impressive!