“Somebody” is somebody else

In an emergency, the phenomenon of “diffusion of responsibility” can be a huge problem. The short definition is that when an accident occurs and many people are around, everyone assumes someone else will take care of it. When a person yells “somebody call 911”, everyone often assumes that “somebody” means “somebody else”.

The same can happen in marketing. A few years back, I mentioned meeting an insurance salesman that sold literally every kind of insurance. As a consequence, I didn’t know what his real expertise was and had no idea what a good referral for him might look like. He was just looking for “somebody”.

In the book “ The 1-Page Marketing Plan “, author Allan Dib shares a great example from a similar event:

Then, the IT guy stands up and says, “If you know somebody who needs help upgrading their computer system, please send them my way.” Who’s “somebody”? It’s somebody else; that’s who “somebody” is.

Specifics matter. There are a lot of people that need IT help, but it’s not generically “upgrading their computer system”. It’s more likely:

• Moving to a more accessible email platform.
• Making the file storage more secure.
• Connecting remote staff with cameras and tools for remote work.
• Making it easier for Janet to…