Don’t be Afraid to be Controversial

Too many people are afraid to be controversial these days.  I know “the customer is always right.”  Supposedly.

I love controversy though.  Bottom line – if some people don’t hate you, there aren’t many that love you.

It’s true, business owners.  If you’re not pushing people towards the edge, then they’re right in the middle.  They don’t hate you, but they also don’t love you.  They’re not talking about you and they’ll easily forget about you.

TV Shows are Controversial

Take a clue from TV shows.  Is there a political show you watch that’s not controversial?  Of course not.  No one would watch.

Derek did this great video a few months ago that brought a lot of controversy.  I doubt Dave Ramsey would disagree with anything he said, but there was still controversy there.

I titled a podcast My Business is a Scam because someone actually thought it was.  But I’ve won that person over (after a funny show) and they still listen.

Turn Controversy into Positive Attention

When you begin to view controversy as a positive occurrence in your business, you can use it as an opportunity to develop relationships that otherwise wouldn’t exist.  I actually disliked some of my now-best friends when I first met them.  If they were in the middle, they’d be like everyone else; someone I know, but someone I don’t interact with often.

How have you used controversy?