A decade ago, a kid from the State University of NY at Geneseo got into an altercation with another guy who (he presumed) was trying to steal his girl. In one fell swoop, he landed one punch straight to the guy’s chest – and killed him instantly! Imagine his surprise when he realized his knuckles hit with such force they actually stopped the guy’s heart. It’s safe to say, this lovelorn student didn’t mean to kill the competition. The judge ruled in his favor and he returned to school after a little bit of fines, jail time and community service. Yet, he will always live with knowing he committed such a horrible deed. Perhaps he wonders what life might have been like if they had just tussled a little.

In your business, there can be an equally fine line between hurting the competition with your superior marketing techniques and outright killing them. Here’s the central problem to being the only show in town:

 

When you see what others are doing and you see their success, you push yourself to do better. You take what they’ve done, put your own twist on it and release the idea as your own – new and improved. So what happens when you have no one to keep an eye on? Now the onus is on you to come up with all original concepts. Now your motivation to succeed is diminished.

So how can you just maim the competition, not kill them, you ask? Screw your head on straight and make sure you’re innovating and creating for the right reasons. Don’t just create to squelch out the competition and “do it better” than the next guy. Concentrate on your core strengthscustomer service, unique packages, core workouts and manifesting your God-given talents and gifts for the benefit of others. Push yourself to achieve better than what you’ve achieved in the past, with less emphasis on what your competitors are doing.

What is your business strategy? Is it about copying the competition, only better? Or are you using the competition as just one component of a larger strategy? You should be digging deep to find keen new marketing techniques and tactics by constantly reading books, attending seminars and workshops, and networking. I mentioned in the last post the importance of reconnaissance and keeping an eye on the competition. That still holds true, but it should not be your sole focus.