Why Some “Get it” and Others Don’t

You hear about a business or people that “get it” all the time. I’ve been accused of “getting it” in the past and it lead to speaking on a panel of other people who “got it”. Funny thing is that when that speaking engagement was over I was talking to someone later who had seen it, their comment was that none of us really “got it”. Someone thought we did, we were invited to speak about the subject after all. But this audience member wasn’t like us, he was younger or hipper or a female or not white or… well… different from those of us speaking on the panel. Truth was that it wasn’t me that “got it” it was the guy putting together the panel that got me. What I was spouting made sense to me and it made sense to that guy and who knows who else it might work for.

I’m currently sitting a business that people will say “gets it”. It’s 9:30 on a Friday morning and the place is mostly packed. I’ve been here an hour or so and seen a steady stream of people come in and go out. Some stay and use the wifi, some are meeting friends and others just get their drinks and go. There are professionals, hipsters, men, women, babies, students and everyone in between.

My triple short mocha with half the chocolate was pretty good and she put a nice leaf pattern on it. The coffee cake was nice and moist. The service was friendly and fast. But that is the cost of entry for a place like this. If I asked, people would say they like the “vibe” or something like that. The place manages to hook into what people want to be. This place “gets it” because the people that come here want to be the kind of people that come here. Whether they actually fit this type of place or not. This place “gets it” because whoever owns this place was authentic to who they were and how they wanted their business to be. They didn’t go after a customer, they put together a good thing and because of that people want to be part of it.

It’s my opinion that it’s not the business that “gets it”. The business takes a huge risk the day they open their doors. If they are successful it’s because there are enough people out there that “get” them and all of their crazy ideas on how things need to be done. Not the other way around.

So what does that mean for you? Do what you do. Think what you think. Be different because you are different, not because you think you need to be different. If you really have a great plan and a good product, place, service or whatever… people will “get it” and get you.