Is being the best too much to handle?

It all depends on what your view of being the best is, or to put it another way what you’re led to believe by others.

• To be a bestselling author, a term used by many can be achieved with a relatively low volume of books being sold - depending on what categories you’re talking about, you’re looking at under 1,000 copies.

Most consumers would hold the view or are led to believe that you need to be the next JK Rowling to be considered a bestselling author – when in fact that would be incorrect.

• To be a bestselling music artist again you are talking about relativity low numbers of DVDs or downloads sold - circa 40,000 copies to be in a number one position.

Again most consumers have an assumption that 100’s of 1,000’s of sales need to be done to be number one, again they are wrong in their assumption. Although the required numbers have increased since downloads are now taken into the equation.

The word ‘best’ is used in everyday marketing messages, a ploy used to engage a potential customer is not thinking beyond the realms of possibility that someone or something could be even better than the best.

The definition of best is

• Adjective: Of the most excellent, effective, or desirable type or quality: "the best player in the league"; "how to obtain the best results from your machine"; "her best black suit".
• Adverb: To the highest degree; most: "The one we liked best".

Whilst the consumer may have their thoughts and ideas on what ‘best’ means to them – very rarely does it match up to the same or come anywhere near as what is meant by the business or person selling the product or service – to them is just a word to use…!

On the flip side, many businesses stand close to their morals and beliefs in what ‘best’ means to them and they endeavour to match the supply of provision and service to others to what they’d expect themselves. But when competing against others who do not hold the same values or beliefs in what ‘best’ is, could it all be just a total waste of time?

With the word ‘best’ being used so often and the result not being what it says on the tin, it will not be long before it forms parts of everyday speech and holds no value just like the word ‘sorry’ How many times have you heard people say that ‘sorry’ is just a word and means nothing - Maybe not long to go until ‘best’ is, just a word also.

Some businesses try to be clever with the word ‘BEST’ by incorporating it in varying acronyms such as

• Basic Education Study Team
• Basic English Skills Test
• Back-End Service Transaction

Again some would applaud such use of acronyms, while others would just read and say - what are they thinking?

Does in your view those who play and toy with the word ‘best’ - devalue what it means to you?

If a local business says it has the ‘best deal’ in the region, do you expect it to be the ‘best deal’ or do you expect it to be, are happy to settle for a ‘good deal in the West Midlands or even a ‘great deal in the West Midlands?

If someone said ‘best business networking event in the West Midlands’ what would you expect? Would it be the different faces attending that would make it the ‘best or would it be the free food that swings it for you?

Where in your best top 10 lists would referrals, leads or introductions come, for believe it or not it would be more to the mid to bottom of the list, as they hold more emphasis on the dressing up (the look and the feel) rather than the actual result.

They say “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, can the same be said for being the best?

Taking things into consideration ask yourself “Is being the best too much to handle” or is it even worth the bother and hassle of trying to be the BEST?