S.O.S.O. – The Drug of Choice for Some Businesses - How About Yours?

S.O.S.O. is the abbreviation for the Same Old Same Old. It does have a rhythm to it. And, it’s as comfortable as an old shoe. Many once successful businesses have been lulled into oblivion by its soothing sameness. Those who are completely addicted to it are easy to spot. They usually use tired clichés such as; turn your dreams into reality. Or, we're the key to your success and my favorite; we're here to serve you.

Why do these same addicts call in someone like me to fix their S.O.S.O. problem? Because they’re not aware of their addiction, only the results of it and they state with a straight face that need a boost of something. They earnestly tell me that they need someone to help them start thinking outside the box. They need something fresh. They offer examples like – hey, how about carpe deim? And, ultimately as soon as new ideas are presented threatening their comfort zone, they backslide. They can’t deal with what they said they think they wanted and fall out of the program and end up exactly where they started. Blaming practitioners like me of course.

Are they even aware that they may be - living lives of quiet desperation or, as the man who coined that line, Henry David Thoreau, wrote to his friend Harrison Blake, “It is not enough to be industrious; so are the ants. What are you industrious about?” Do these same S.O.S.O. addicts realize that their customers and advertising audience doesn’t like being spoken to with such innocuous drivel? Think of how many of these once tried and true promises were used too often and only communicate that they are now nothing more than tired and through clichés. These promises are now seen as vapid little transparent lies just like the classic; the check is in the mail, I’ll call you in the morning or, the universal hybrid lie-cliché – I have a headache!

There’s a measuring stick that marketers use to gauge the age of a business. It’s called the business cycle. Every business starts off at step, or stop one if you prefer in the four step/stop cycle. Every business was new at some point. It didn’t just spring fully formed as Venus did from the head of Zeus. If your business is at the new or introductory stage you can become as addicted to S.O.S.O. as the seasoned vets. In fact, if you do, you’ll cliché yourself out of business so fast that you’ll never make it to the next business stage. I’m sorry! Here I’ve been ranting about written or verbal clichés and totally forgot about the visual ones. How about photos of babies, kitties and puppies? Then, there are the cute chimps, beautiful horses and overtly buxom women just to name just a few more.

At the growth stage, a business is usually successful at attracting customers. The challenge is the growing part – attracting more and repeat customers. I’m not so sure a business can grow if it’s going to depend on S.O.S.O. to get them there. What about successful businesses that also drink the S.O.S.O. Kool-Aid? Well, they must have something people can’t get anywhere else. Now imagine if they were more imaginatively evolved? They would be far more successful. Even these businesses can eventually reach the third stage with the same old same old. But, if a new competitor comes into their environment who knows how to speak to consumers, they’ll bump the S.O.S.O. business right to the very last stage. More about that - just a bit.

The third stage of the business cycle is the maturity stage. At this level, or stage, even those who were lighting up the sky at one time can get hooked on S.O.S.O. and eventually become a shadow of their former selves. The comfort and security of longevity can lull even the best businesses into a stupor, or worse yet, rigor. Once you start hearing the excuses, which are clichés in their own right, such as; we tried that once, management would never go for it or, it might just be a fad and we don’t want to get in there just yet. All aboard the Tiny Train to Oblivion! Then, of course, when reality hits the fan and gets on everyone and the jagged little bits start to become unavoidable, they realize they’ve just had their ticket punched for the fourth stage - decline - the stage few escape from. In German, klein means small. Sales are fewer and smaller. Profits are smaller. Client rosters are smaller and on it goes until the company gets so small – it disappears!

So, if you’re hooked on the soothing, numbing and mind clouding affects of S.O.S.O. you’re business or organization will eventually become as small as your manner of thinking. Think small. Be small. Avoid S.O.S.O. from the start. You can’t afford it at the new or introductory stage. You can’t and won’t grow as much as you would have or could have if you’re happy with the same old same old. And, even if you make it to the second or growth stage, any competitor can stop you in your tracks if they’re perceives as newer, fresher or better than what you have to offer. Maturity doesn’t mean security. It just means you’ve managed to get to the third or, mature stage of business. And, no matter what stage you’re at, it can be a quick hop, skip and jump to the final or decline stage. All because you embraced S.O.S.O.