“Build a better mouse trap, and the world will beat a path to your door.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, late 19th century

You don’t think that’s still true do you? In 2010, the mouse traps have been perfected. Nobody cares about yours.

But they do care about who you are, why you’re different and what you stand for. And they find out who you are through the stories they hear whether they’re complimentary or not. It’s never been easier to spread the word than it is now, and good stories — whether they build you up or tear you down — spread fast.

The story that doesn’t spread:

“We have a great new product at a fair price, and we have outstanding customer service.”

Everybody has that. And even if a product is genuinely superior, it doesn’t garner any true loyalty beyond its lifespan.

Stories that spread (and help):

“Arcteryx is coming out with $300 gloves next year. The sample is in a glass case!”
“[Famous alpinist] bought a CiloGear pack, because [famous brand] doesn’t make what he needs.”

Stories that spread (but hinder):

“Did you hear that Patagonia has started selling to Dick’s?”
“Guess what! The North Face is suing a teenage kid for selling parody clothing.”

What’s your story? Who are you really? (Social media won’t let you fake it.) Is the story spreading? Is it the kind of story you want people to spread?

Keep building great mouse traps. But be sure to build an even better mouth trap.

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