One major hurdle we must overcome in our business world is comparison. As we discussed building your brand last week, it’s very important to know who you are and what you are about, so that your business stands out in the world. It’s also important so you can overcome comparing your company to the thousands of others out there. When you look at another business and compare yours to it, you often find things you wish you were doing, products you had to offer, or people you had on your staff. You compare slogans, logos or their success which can cause you to overlook the good things you are already doing.
Comparison is a tricky thing. While it’s good to study your competition, and know your industry, it often becomes difficult to not envy those who are ahead of you. We tend to forget that some businesses we desire to be like have been in existence much longer, or had more financial resources to begin with and that building a successful business takes a long time and a lot of perseverance. They were once in the position of growing into success, but success comes from remaining consistent and working hard over a long period of time.
We live in a society that demands instant gratification. We want fast food and instant everything and when our businesses do not thrive overnight, we grow discouraged and begin asking ourselves what we are doing wrong. The answer is nothing! It just takes time.
In order to overcome comparison, we must remind ourselves of a few things so that we can stay the course and keep growing our own company into a thriving corporation:
Things worth building right take time. Think back to the era where quality was everything. Transistor radios, vintage cars and old homes were all built slowly and built well. It wasn’t about mass-production. It was about making a quality product every single time. Many of those things built back in the day are still working, still standing or still running today, why? Because those who developed them took the time to build something that would last. Building a profitable organization takes time. You must overcome comparing yourself to others and what they are doing. There are thousands of successful clothing stores in the world right now. Each one knows what makes them unique and better than every other store.
Relationships are built over time. Business relationships are built on trust and trust takes time. Your customers must know they can depend on you and your products. They must feel important and cared for. Trust doesn’t mean you will never disappoint your customers. It does mean however, that when you do, you own your mistake and make it right. When people choose to do business with you, do everything possible to keep the relationship intact.
Confidence and quality attract others to your business. When you are confident in what you have to offer others, it attracts people to your business. When you know why your product can help someone and you are sure of it, people are drawn to do business with you. Even though cost is often a factor, quality outweighs cost every time. If your brand is a quality product, you won’t have to worry about comparing it to other products.
Keep these things in mind and don’t compare your company to any other. Use comparison only as a tool to keep growing your business, but don’t lose focus on who you are or what you are about. Know who you are and what you are about in order to stay focused and confident for the long haul.
If you need help creating a brand or in rebranding your business, contact someone at Jennasis & Associates to let us know how we can best help you. Click on our website at www.jennasisassociates.com or email us at digitalmarketing@jennasisassociates.com.
