Wednesday, June 8, 2011

How can you stay ahead of the competition?

In today's complex Internet world, staying ahead of the competition can be a daunting and confusing task. Where as once simply handing out business cards and flyers could easily drum up new business, in today's world things have gotten far more complex. Websites, blogs, forums, social networking, email marketing, newsletter marketing, the list goes on and on and on. With all that is involved one can easily become overwhelmed and confused, and that confusion has caused many to overlook some of the more critical methods of beating out the competition. Here are some important things you don't want to overlook.

1. Be a "go giver:"

Always make sure that you give your customers the absolute most value for their hard earned money. Go the extra mile and invent new ways to make yourself stand out from the crowd. Look at what your competition is offering and try to offer your customers more than they do. Even little things when combined can make a huge difference. Spend time every week coming up with new ideas. You don't have to reinvent the wheel either. Look at what your competition is currently doing, pick it apart piece by piece and try and put it back together new and improved. That's what Sam Walton the founder of Wal - mart did, and he became one of the richest men in the world!

2. Set goals and think on paper.

Only three to five percent of the public ever bothers to write down goals clearly, (on paper) decribing what they want to accomplish with their business. Imagine trying to build a house for instance, without blue prints showing you or your builder how the house should look. Simply stated it would be a confusing task at best. Confusion and haziness are one of the biggest reasons for falling behind the competition. Decide where you want to be and how you will get there, and write it down! Be clear and concise and give your goals the focus they deserve.

3. Be competitive:

Make a game out of it. Refuse to be anything but the very best at what you do and shatter the competition. Keep striving to stay ahead of the pack and make sure your whole team is behind you in that regard. I can't stress enough the fact that you must always keep an eye on what your competition is doing and strive to do  better!

4. Be a continuous learner.

Break down everything that is involved with the your business, from the products and or services you offer, to how you market them. Write each one down and than ask yourself; "If I improved just one of the aspects of my business, which one would have the greatest impact?" Select that one thing and task and toil until you "crack the code" by learning everything you can learn about making it better. Once you have "cracked the code," select another. Be ridculous about it. That may sound funny but believe me, the more you do that  your competition is not doing, and the more you do better at what they are, the more you will stand out above them.

5. Offer more products and or services:

Consider this the "coup de gra" to the competition. One of the secrets of Sam Walton's phenomenal success was that he believed in the concept of attracting customers by providing them a "one stop shop experience." When they shopped at Wal - mart, he made sure that if they came into his store looking for dish soap, they almost always ended up buying that and more, sometimes a lot more! He made them feel like there was no reason for them to shop any place else! This concept alone blew his competition out of the water. Make sure that you offer as many relevant products and or services you can to your clients. AAA for example was known mainly at first for their roadside services. Someone decided they should add insurance, registration services, and travel agency services and now they generate far more revenue from those services than from just roadside. One of the great things about diversifying and adding more products and or services, (besides beating out the competition) is the fact that you already have a clientele to market them to! That means you will likely not have to spend additional advertising dollars to make more money! All you have to do is let your existing clients know that you provide these other products and or services and they will be glad to do business with you instead of somebody else. You will shine in their eyes well above the competition and make more profits to boot!

Using the simple methods above, will clearly have an impact in your ability to stay miles ahead of your competition. Remember, we all do business with certain people because of many different factors. The more things you do to make choose you over the competition, the more likely you will become the competition everyone's trying to beat.

Christopher John
C.J.F. & Associates
1-800-908-9312
http://www.cash4you123.com/
"With help, we all succeed"

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