What does narrowing the competition means for an entrepreneur or an employee? Not what you think. After years of working at various jobs in various industries and in the military, it is simple to be better than the rest. I call it the 75%(it is not a hard and fast number but more of an opinion based on experience) rule because by adhering to it you automatically leap ahead of 75% of your co-workers or competition. This rule can be applied if you’re an employee or entrepreneur and it is easy to apply. Take a look at your situation, be it a job or business owner, and identify one or two little things that can be changed that differentiates you from the rest of the pack. They are easy to pinpoint if you think it through.
Employee
What are your bosses biggest headaches? I am sure there are a few but I bet one is absenteeism. So, for example, by showing up to work everyday and on time you have established yourself as better than 75% of the other employees. According to “Absenteeism: The Bottom-Line Killer,” a publication of the workforce solution company Circadian, unscheduled absenteeism costs roughly $3,600 per year for each hourly worker and $2,650 for salaried each year for salaried employees. You have avoided being lumped in with the group of headache makers. If the company decides to lay-off people or promote from within, all other things being equal, which group do you want to be in?
A positive attitude is a form of expression that virtually anyone can incorporate and every employer takes notice of. No one wants to work with a dour coworker who constantly complains and never seems to be in a good mood. A negative attitude can create an atmosphere of distrust among employees and management. By keeping a positive attitude and avoiding those with a negative attitude you make your own work experience better and more productive. This simple strategy is easy to employ and gives you an advantage over the majority of the workforce.
Entrepreneur
What if you are that boss or business owner? It could be as simple as relaying the appropriate information to the appropriate people. Have you ever conducted a search for a service or product and found many of the companies listed do not have all of the information you need to make a decision? If you were looking at an internet search, the yellow pages, an industry directory, or any other list of choices and only a few of the companies had all the information wouldn’t you choose one of those companies? A vast majority of businesses have not taken the time to even include important details such as hours of operation, a logo, or even an address where they can be found. A simple thing such as verifying that your website or any business listing has all the information a potential customer needs will make your business stand out as being better then 75% of your competition.
Listening is a skill that can be improved upon with thought and practice. It is a simple skill that any business owner can improve on but very few even attempt. How many customers have you lost and not know why? Your competition was listening. How many do you think you can gain by listening and learning what the customer truly needs or wants? By learning what that hot-button is you know how to earn their business without spending more on advertising. This not only applies to customers but your employees. People are motivated by different things. Some are motivated by money, some by recognition, and others by time off to spend with their family. Listening and discerning their true motivations will help create a group of happier, stable, and motivated group of employees. Happy, stable, and motivated employees are more productive. Instead of waiting to talk you can slow down and listen and learn what your customer or employee is looking for. You will get your chance to talk and when you do you will know what to say.
There are plenty of examples when you start looking around and can be found in almost every situation. This is my opinion and more of a mind set then a hard and fast rule. Of course, I am not advocating that anyone at any time do the very least. That is counter productive. Instead, I am trying to show how easy it is to do the very least. Hey, and be honest, can you say you are already there or are on your way? Well, then it is your time to shine. Go out there and be a better you. Besides, if you fail can you say you did your best if you did not, at least, do the very least?
This article was written by Rick Lucas of Louisville SEO Strategies.
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