With the competitive nature of the business field, just surviving is not enough. With so many distractions, how can you cut through the crowd and reach your goals? You don’t just have to compete, you have to dominate. In order to bring more income to your business and family, you need to focus on certain points all the time.
Think differently: What has brought you here will not take you further. If you really want to dominate an industry and be the leading business within it, you need to stop thinking and operating like everyone else. Do you want to be the business that produces more, at a lower price, or do you want fewer customers paying you more money? There is no right or wrong answer. You need to decide what kind of business you want to be.
Always ready: Meet someone at a networking event. After talking for a few minutes, exchange your business cards. Once this person comes back to the office, they do three things: they visit your website, they look at your LinkedIn profile, and they even look at your Facebook profile. That is, you have less than five minutes to get this person’s attention. When you have time, do a personal check. Does your website look different, or the same as all your competitors? Does your LinkedIn page contain eye-catching testimonials, photos and videos, or how your products have helped customers? Remember, it only takes five minutes to make a first impression on someone.
Perfect your business description: At a typical networking event, you’ll have an opportunity for a brief description of what your business is, which can last anywhere from 30 to 60 seconds. Most are very boring. Focus on three things when working on your pitch: who your target audience is, how you can help them, and what they have to offer.
Grab people’s attention: Long ago, if you wanted to advertise your services, you would have to do it in print, radio, posters or television, platforms that are too expensive for small businesses. Companies with more money had an advantage. But things are much different in 2019. Everyone has an equal opportunity. YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram have allowed everyone to own a personal network, capable of registering hundreds of thousands of people with a single click of a button. Don’t know where to start? Start by making an effort to post one video a week on YouTube. These can be simple two-minute videos that show how you help your customers. Send it to customers with a personalized note and ask for their opinion. By providing value for free, without selling it, you will get their attention and in the future they may be your new customers.
Rise above the competition: Think about what makes you different from the competition, you as an individual. Unfortunately, a good product or service alone is not enough. There are several different things you can start doing today: write a book, be interviewed on a radio or television show. Start doing Facebook Live. Create a YouTube channel. With today’s social media, everyone is watching you. They may not comment or like, but they are always watching you.
