How to Separate Yourself from the Pack

Transcription

1 HelpDeskJA.com How to Separate Yourself from the Pack Preparing to build your unique business to stand out in a sea of options. Corine La Font

2 Contents Taught to Be the Same... 2 Peer Pressure... 2 Be Different... 2 Competitive Advantage # Be Yourself... 3 Competitive Advantage # Humility... 5 Competitive Advantage # Think Outside of the Box... 6 Competitive Advantage # Be visionary. Be futuristic Competitive Advantage # Decide how you would run things... 8 Competitive Advantage # Listen... 9 Competitive Advantage # Be the Bigger Person Competitive Advantage # Informational Products Competitive Advantage # Speak When Spoken To Competitive Advantage # Define your value If All Else Fails Credits... 15

3 Taught to Be the Same Peer Pressure When we were younger we probably experienced peer pressure at some point. We were forced or influenced to follow the crowd. If you don t do what everyone else is doing you are seen as deviant. But now that we are older and wanting to start our own businesses, we are being told to have answers for questions like, What makes you different? and What is your unique selling point? Those are hard questions to answer after experiencing peer pressure as children and even as adults; since peer pressure is something that follows us through every phase of life. Take a look at the characteristics of peer pressure below. See if it sounds familiar. Peer Pressure Characteristics Pushed to conform Play by the rules Adhere to culture Don't ask questions Be Different You must unbrainwash yourself! Change the way you think about conformity. It s the ones who cause trouble, the deviants, who become successful in business and in life. You want to show yourself and be bold. You may conform in some areas but in this course we are going to explore how to be different in smart, strategic ways. We will explore how you can you put your own spin on the norms of your industry and bring your own flair in your business?

4 Competitive Advantage #1 Be Yourself Be yourself everyone else is taken. Accept who you are. You are unique in your own way. So be yourself. Recognize who you are. Who do you want to be in your business? How do you want others to see you when you are interacting with them, speaking with them? This is called The Plan of Me. Recognizing and accepting your unique and genuine self will give you an advantage because there is only one you. You cannot be replicated. Develop The Plan of Me. Who are you? How will you reveal that to others to help your business stand out? My name is I am a I am from I specialize in Others have described me as My favorite color is I have a dream to My style is

5 My strengths are I ve grown the most by About myself I can also say Now come up with a short statement to describe who you are in terms of your business. How can you express your unique self in the different areas of your business? My Plan of Me

6 Competitive Advantage #2 Humility Humility does not mean you think less of yourself. Don t boast. Let others speak about you, i.e. your clients, your partners and colleagues. Let your work speak for itself. Be a silent competitor in your industry. Stop being boastful Reach out to people in your industry Identify those you thought of helping but held back because of selfish desire SELFISH DESIRES INCLUDE KEEPING YOUR GIFTS TO YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU ARE AFRAID YOUR COMPETITORS MAY GET AHEAD OF YOU IF YOU HELP. INSTEAD LEVERAGE ONE ANOTHER S UNIQUE GIFTS. Make a list of persons you thought of helping but held back:

7 Competitive Advantage #3 Think Outside of the Box When one door closes, another one opens. What that is really saying is to think outside the box. In the metaphoric sense what is a closed door? Maybe it means the opportunity is not for me or not for me at this time. Do I need to change the locks, unhinge the door, or look at another door? What about door #2, #3, #4 and so on? Is another door wide open? Think creatively. Think innovatively. Position yourself as a problem solver. Find creative ways to solve problems, because prospective clients, colleagues, and others are watching to see if you will find creative ways to solve problems. Ask yourself Am I a problem solver and how can I be perceived as such to my prospects or clients? People are watching

8 Competitive Advantage #4 Be visionary. Be futuristic. There is nothing wrong with being a misfit. Embrace it. It s a good thing. Even if you have the same idea as someone else, your version will always be different. Look to the future in your industry and come up with innovative solutions for future problems. What trends do you notice in your industry? What can you do to add value? Will it be something new or put a different spin on something that already exists?

9 Competitive Advantage #5 Decide how you would run things What if you were president? What if you were running your business today? What would you do differently from those who have a similar business? What would you do differently from the owners of the company you work for now or have worked for in the past? What would you do that is the same? Don t forget the things that you saw as mistakes when you observed other businesses. Also consider the things that you admire about how other businesses are run. Make a list or write your operational policy on what you want or don t want in your business.

10 Competitive Advantage #6 Listen Great ideas pass us by because we are not listening keenly. People who don t listen to their customers don t come up with solutions. How can they? It s the people who listen who find solutions quickly. Listen with an open mind. Talk less, listen more.

11 Competitive Advantage #7 Be the Bigger Person Don t fight with competitors for a limited space. Instead, think of them as potential collaborators and work with them in that space. Support them, share their social media posts, and be helpful without looking for reward. Some won t reciprocate, but others will. Once you give it will come back to you tenfold. Make a list of the persons you wish to grow with and offer support and encouragement.

12 Competitive Advantage # 8 Informational Products Start working on material like informational products (online training, programs, or books). Leverage previous experience to earn money and increase your visibility and credibility. Having these products immediately sets you above those who do not have them. Believe in yourself. What informational products can I create? Make a list and put a timeline. Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals (S.M.A.R.T. stands for specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic/relevant, and time based) Product idea Timeline/SMART goal Product idea Timeline/SMART goal Product idea Timeline/SMART goal Product idea Timeline/SMART goal Product idea Timeline/SMART goal

13 Competitive Advantage #9 Speak When Spoken To Be focused and speak when you re spoken to. In networking, there is an art and a skill to introducing yourself. Don t interrupt other people to introduce yourself. Don t force your business card on people. Stay in your zone. Be the best you can be at your specialty. Be strategic. Know when to join the conversation. Make your silent and strategic move at the right time.

14 Competitive Advantage #10 Define your value Demonstrate to your clients how you can save them time and money. The two most desired assets every potential client wants. Start thinking about what you have done in the past to maximize your time, energy, and resources. Adopt strategies to learn to save more time and money. Demonstrate how you can or have saved your clients time and money

15 If All Else Fails If all else fails, here are a few more wise words to follow: If you can t beat em, join em. When in Rome do as the Romans Sometimes you have to follow before you can lead. Sometimes you have to follow before you can lead Just observe for a while Be genuine, be helpful You never know when this will pay off and make you a leader among your peers

16 Credits Corine La Font is a Self-Publishing, Online Marketing and Virtual Events Specialist and Consultant. She is also an author, online business and writing coach, columnist for the Jamaica Gleaner, online radio host, speaker and an Award Winning Publishing Resource in the 2013 Small Business Book Awards. Get a copy of her book at and Office for One (use aff link) and Tune in and follow her radio program at Workbook created by LeslieRichardsva.com Image Credits Denken/Thinking by Sebastiaan ter Burg See page 6 License information (CC BY 2.0) Chess by Pixabay user: tpsdave See page 12 License information (CC0 1.0) Other images are from the Office.com clip art gallery