Take any area you care to name and it’s a crowded one – or is it? There are over 750 types of UK cheese but most people would struggle to name more than about 10, there are in excess of 110 million active YouTube channels and yet people still start more, the percentage of university students getting a first class degree in 2020/21 was 37.9% and so it’s no longer a measure that sets them apart, there are over 20,000 restaurants in London alone but how many are well known? No matter what you do, either personally or in business, here are five ways to stand out in a crowded world.
The reason I say “is it really crowded?” is that despite there being many thousands of people in the UK with a first class degree, there is only you being you. There are thousands of cheese makers around the world but only you make the cheese you make. Likewise look at the number of consultants or trainers or doctors or engineers or manufacturers of shampoo. There are more of them than you can shake a stick at, but only you do what you do. So, how do we stand out? here are five ways:
First all all ask yourself this simple question. What is remarkable about what I / we do? You’ll find more details of this here Why Being Remarkable Is Effective but if you can’t answer that question then there is no chance anyone else can. To stand out you must do or be something remarkable.
Secondly, you must bring value where others (including AI) can’t or don’t. What is the real value you bring to your clients or customers? If it’s simply that you are cheaper than anyone else then you are engaged in a race to the bottom that you can’t possibly win.
Third, you need to develop good relationships with your customers / clients / employers / employees. Humans work on a relationship basis. AI can never replace this. How well do you develop and maintain relationships with those that are important to you? If they don’t know you are different then they will assume you are the same as all the rest.
Forth, innovate. Even if you are a traditional baker find ways to innovate and stand out. Do courses, produce masterpieces of bread that are worthy of comment. You don’t need to sacrifice tradition and skills to innovate but you can’t stand still. Remember a small but different fish in a small specialised pond will do better than a big fish surrounded by other big fish in a crowded big pond.
Finally – be effective. Not productive or efficient, important though those things are, but effective. If you can effectively achieve and help others achieve their real objectives then you will truly stand out in a crowded world of productivity and efficiency gurus. Effectiveness trumps everything.
If you want to discuss how we can help make you or your business stand out then please Contact us and we will be happy to discuss things in more depth.