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How to bake in the WOW!

Rob

　　So what is The WOW? The WOW is that piece of your product, blog or podcast that really sets it apart. It is the item that captures your audience’s attention and leaves them speechless. It is that something special that keeps them coming back for more. When people walk away from your product, they feel satisfied, like they got their money’s worth and then some.
　　I saw a commercial the other day of a guy who speaks about lightning. While that may be interesting in its own right and for the right audience, it wouldn’t capture everyone’s attention. However, this guy didn’t just speak about lightning, he demonstrated it with a lightning suit and a Tesla coil, he became a human lightning rod. When I saw that I thought to myself, “Now that, is a WOW factor.”
　　While speaking about lightning may reach a certain audience, creating WOW factor by turning yourself into a human lightning rod, broadens your impact and reaches every audience. That is part of the idea behind baking in the WOW, you can use it to broaden your scope and reach a larger audience with more influence. You want it to attract a larger group and get them to tell others and come back for more.
　　Start by looking at other products, brands, blogs, podcasts, whatever, pull apart their offer and see what the product actually is and then see what they have built into it to create the WOW. What have the included to amp it up and make it better. Once you can see this in other products, you can begin to see where it is needed in your product.
　　So what actually builds the WOW? The simple (or not so simple) answer is, anything that adds value. Value is providing something that your audience wants or needs. You can add value by including a video or a bonus podcast. You can have a giveway or a contest. You can add entertainment and create an awe inspiring moment. You can provide a solution to the problems your audience is facing.
　　Not every WOW factor has to be lightning bolts. The WOW factor can be seemingly simple but as long as it fits your product and your audience and provides value to them then it is a WOW factor.
　　Once you think you know how to provide value to your audience, take a closer look at what you are providing, scrutinize it. Then improve upon it and make it that much better and greater. You can improve upon it by making it better or presenting it better, providing another solution or building excitement.
　　However you decide to do it, as long as you add value and develop your product into something much bigger, it can go from being an average product to being something incredible. Doing so will improve sales, generate more views, obtain more followers or anything else you are trying to accomplish with your product.
　　

So how do you create a WOW factor in your product?

17 Secrets Every Tough Mudder Should Know

Rob
    Have shoes with great traction – The better the traction you have on your shoes, the easier it will be to crawl up mud slick hills. They will help you to get foot hold when nothing else will.
    Wear compression shorts under other clothes or shorts. They may help to keep mud out of places it doesn’t need to be.You will need them and what you are wearing may get ripped. Besides nothing was worse than the large woman with ripped spandex.
    Waterproof pack – Some type of waterproof pack may come in handy to carry a few things that you may need along the course. You will need this because you will not have a dry or clean spot on you.
    Bandanna – this may be a great thing to put in your waterproof pack. You can use it to clean your face off and wipe mud out of your eyes when needed, especially at water stations.
    Water – There wasn’t enough water stations along the course for my liking. However a friend that came with me had a CamelBak which was awkward in tight spaces and the mouthpiece was covered with mud.
    Camera – A Go Pro may work but the better advice is to have a spectator come with you to take pictures.
    Arrive early – even though you signed up for a specific time, you can arrive early and get a head start. Even if you don’t you have time to look around and join in the festivities.
    Be careful of the face paint – If you opt for face paint, don’t put it on your face or around your eyes, you will sweat and it will bleed into your eyes.
    Don’t breathe! – At least at the beginning when you run through the start line, they set off orange smoke. Hold your breath through here for a few seconds, otherwise you will be spitting and coughing from it.
    Pull ups – You will have to pull yourself over a LOT of walls, so practice your pull ups. It will help especially when you and everyone else is tired.
    Dips – along with Pull ups, you will be letting yourself down from these walls and will need to do it gently, instead of slamming into the wall like I did.
    Running is the next important thing to practice. You will be ‘running’ a long distance. Most of it will be some form of walking but the more you can run that distance, the more you will have the endurance needed to finish.
    Also exercise your balance. You will have a number of treacherous mud covered slopes to traverse and the better you can keep your balance, the better it will be for you and those around you.
    Grip – strengthening your grip can help also because you will be climbing over walls and along monkey bars or rings.
    Prepping for the ARCTIC ENEMA – I’m sorry to say, there is no preparing for it, just do it. Nothing will prepare you for that. Just hold your breath; Jump in; and move fast! (Guys, give ‘certain areas’ time to warm up before running again)
    Teams – yes teams are more fun and can help each other out along the way. You will only move as fast as the slowest person on your team. You may become separated from your team. But you can go it alone. There are many racers along the course who will help you out and get you to the finish.
    Above all have fun! Enjoy yourself, you will never be so dirty, so tired and so covered with mud, but you will have so much fun.

Have you ran the Tough Mudder (or similar race)? What are your suggestions for running it?