Be different.

We mean, "Be different in a good way."

One of the very first marketing and advertising lessons I learned was the power of zigging when everybody else was zagging. The point was simple, but not easy. You have to stand out from the crowd.

Separating yourself from the competition may be easier in the execution of your business, but it may be very difficult in attracting customers. I spent decades running retail organizations. Delivering extraordinary customer service has always been my passion. Establishing a culture willing and able to do that is vastly easier than convincing new customers that you're distinct.

We have to figure out a way. A way to attract new customers. It's the first leg of the business trifecta.

* Getting new customers
* Serving existing customers better
* Not going crazy in the process

It's up near the top of the business challenges facing all of us. How can we stand apart and get the attention of the prospect so we can convert them into customers?

There's no singular answer. "It depends" is the qualifying statement. It depends on the business you're in. Not every business is solving the seemingly unsolvable problem customers experience. Not every business is leading the way with some technology advantage. Not every business has the clear advantage of being the best product.

The question for today is, "How can we make our company stand apart from the crowd because we're significantly different...better?"

It's not CAN we. It's HOW can we?

Every business owner has to figure out a way to make being different better!

Today I hope to help jog your creative juices so you can huddle with your team and find a way.

One: Get very clear on what you'd like to be most known for

Reputations don't just happen. Well, good ones don't. Architect your reputation.

This will be congruent with your culture. There's no way to have a culture known for something other than what the customers know to be true. I'll always encourage entrepreneurs to focus first on their reputation with their employees. What do your employees know to be true? How do they feel about you and working inside your company?

Too often business owners don't think about it. Some even boldly claim they don't care. A big mistake! Your people are the face of your company with the customers. Their happiness is paramount. Their dedication to serving the customer matters. Ironfisted rule won't inspire them to perform better. No society ruled by a dictator has ever outperformed a free society run by capitalism. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you'll be the lone exception.

Figure out the key reputation points that you want every employee to know are true. Get busy making those things happen.

The best places to work excel at everything else.

It's not about being soft and easy. It's about being competitive and striving to win in the market. We make sports analogies for good reason. There are winners and losers. Society and culture don't hold being competitive up as much as I think they should. But I grew up in a different era. We wanted to crush our competition. It's not about being ugly or failing to be nice. It's about doing what you can while always doing the right thing so you best all the competition.

The best teams are judged by their victories. Do they win? If they win then you dive more deeply under the hood to see their culture. You won't find a culture where people run willy-nilly doing whatever they please. You won't find a culture where people have an easy life. Instead, you'll find people working harder than their opponents. You'll find people helping each other be accountable for being as good as possible.