Who knew that running your own business meant so much hard work? It’s not all just “doing what you love to do”. I find myself doing a lot of selling these days, and one thing people ask is what makes my services different. This is such a common question, and it’s forced me to think about the answer in different ways. I know many businesses, and even individuals, who are interchangeable with their competition. They struggle to find how they can get the competitive edge and give better products or services. So, because they are like everyone else, they offer discounts. When you apply this to individuals that are all the same as the next guy, you’ll notice that they don’t advance their career in pay or position. Today’s article discusses finding what makes you different, and it offers a challenge that I hope you accept. It could change your life for the better! Thank you for reading!
One Thing You Can Do That Makes You More Valuable!
Be different! It worked for Apple, why wouldn’t it work for you? Apple’s whole philosophy is based on two words Think Different.
Conformity
From early in our childhood conformity is encouraged. Depending on where you grew up, and how you were raised, at some level conformity is encouraged. If not from your family unit, your school, your coach, your church, and from your friends. I am sure that at some point you did something that everyone else was doing just to be cool or to fit in with the crowd.
We go to school, and there are rules to get us all looking in the same direction at the same time. We speak only when it was appropriate and if not… there are consequences. As a parent now, I’ll use peer pressure. “Look at little Johnny over there being quiet. You should be quiet too!” Society generally imposes a set of norms or rules that most of us conform to on a daily basis. Few people challenge or even break social norms, because they have been conditioned to fear the consequences.
Let’s Think About This…
From early in our lives, most of us were led to believe that to be successful you have to go to college, get a job, and work your way up the corporate ladder. Perhaps after a few years of that we can go out on our own, but only after we’ve developed a valuable, marketable skill set that can be used to… make someone else rich! The more we learn, the harder we work, the more successful we’ll be. Sure, that makes sense.
I have a few questions… Do you know of anyone that is successful that hasn’t followed these rules? A successful entrepreneur that hasn’t graduated college? Um… Steve Jobs?
And, do you know someone that has followed all the rules and worked hard every day, that barely treads water? Does that resonate with anyone? Is it you?
Be Unique
Before you decide to quit networking all together, seek advice. This doesn’t mean asking your neighbor for his opinion, unless he is an uber-successful salesperson. Most people ask their buddies for advice in areas where their buddies aren’t experts. It would be ridiculous for someone to ask their neighbor for advice on a toothache. You probably want to visit a dentist for that. However, many people will go to their neighbor or buddies for career advice. We do this even if our neighbor is no more successful than we are, or in another line of work!
When you seek advice, get the right advice. Seek help from someone who has worked in your specialty, and has been there and done that! Find someone that is knowledgeable in what you need to resolve, and someone that you can trust. I like to use mentors in this area. Choose a mentor that has knowledge and experience. A mentor should be someone that has no vested interest in you, other than your success. This means they aren’t dependent on you and they don’t have baggage that might cloud their advice. A mentor is someone that is fully committed to helping you succeed.
Adjust the Plan
Last week I discussed plans to be successful. Find someone successful and follow what they did. I also said that this isn’t an exact blueprint. No two people are exactly the same. We all look different and have different personalities. So why would the path one person take work out perfectly for another person? Why on earth should we all have the same pattern to success? It makes no sense.
The point is, you have to be unique. This goes back to creating a dream and a vision that is right for you. Every great philosopher in the world will teach that we live in an abundant universe, where anything you want is available to you. How can that be? Well, we all want different things! We don’t all want to live on the beach or to drive the same car. Therefore, there is plenty to go around.
How Do You Differentiate Yourself From Your Competition?
When I meet with people and explain what I do, they’ll ask what makes me successful, or how do I differentiate myself from my competition. What makes me unique from my competition is my passion for improvement and a personal connection with my clients. I am not just putting someone through a program and hoping they succeed. My entire philosophy has been centered on helping everyone around me succeed, and as a result I partner with clients to help them succeed. The coaching I provide is based on a deep level of trust, faith, and understanding.
Differentiating yourself from others means bringing something unique, something special about yourself to the relationship. When you try to be someone else, you’ll fail. When you are yourself, and show your uniqueness, then you open yourself up to success.
The Challenge
Think about what you are doing, and are you doing it different than your competition. If you want to differentiate yourself from your competition, and the best way to do that is to be yourself, and tap into what makes you unique in the marketplace. You may have to undo years of programming, but it is the surefire way to grow! It’s not too late to make 2017 THE YEAR OF YOU!
Do You Need Help Finding How You’re Different?
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Shaffer Ingenuity can help you find what really drives you and provide you the tools to achieve those goals!
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I am excited to announce that have finalized our next live event “Mastering the Mental Game!” This is going to be entertaining and life changing! You won’t want to miss it.
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▪ When: Saturday November 11th Less than a week away!
▪ Time 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
▪ Open discussion to follow
▪ Where: Charles I. Ecker Business Training Center
6751 Columbia Gateway Dr.
Columbia, MD 21046
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Quote of the Week
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
-Oscar Wilde
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I am always looking for opportunities to share some inspiration with others. If your company or club is looking for a guest speaker for a meeting, workshop or other event, I welcome the referral.
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Kind regards,
Andrew Shaffer,
Shaffer Ingenuity