2212: Finding Your Value Despite the Competition by Michael Mehlberg on Competitive Advantage

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[00:01:00] This is Optimal Work Daily. Finding your value despite the competition by Michael Melberg of michaelmelberg.com. 12 words reignited a fire in me that now burns hot. Quote, Nobody owns the market on productivity and you've got something to offer. End quote.

[00:01:21] We were talking about competition, focus, and purpose. And those 12 words, uttered by my business coach, were ripe with lessons. 1. If you have something of value to offer the world, there's usually a business in it. 2. That other businesses work hard and spend money, pushing the illusion that they are the unchallengeable leader in a market. And 3. That competition can be an excuse for inaction.

[00:01:49] Are you second-guessing your next great idea? Are you downplaying the value you could provide to others? Are you upset that you found a competitor in the market who seems to be offering everything you want to, and seems to be finding great success doing it? It might be time to step back and realize a few important things. 1. You have value the world needs. Perhaps you're an artist? Maybe a musician, a writer, a blogger, a podcaster, or a basket weaver.

[00:02:18] It doesn't matter. If other people find value in your work, there may be a business in it. You've got something to offer, my coach said. He was right. I'd taken for granted the fact that I've spent my entire professional career learning, testing, and executing organization and productivity strategies. Could I keep this knowledge and these lessons to myself? Sure, but that's not helping anyone. That's not providing value. What about you? What have you spent your life and career learning?

[00:02:48] What do you know so well that you take it for granted? Others just might find value in it. Use your skills, your knowledge, your experiences to help others on their journey. Maybe that's a painting. Maybe it's a photo. Maybe it's teaching your audience a new skill on your podcast. Whatever it is, you have value the world needs. Two, there's a place for what you do.

[00:03:13] In the 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Rees and Jack Trout, the law of exclusivity states, quote, Two companies cannot own the same word in the prospect's mind. End quote. Apple owns design. BMW owns performance. Burger King owns your way. But that doesn't mean their competition can't build a business in the same market. It simply means you have to pick a different angle. There's a place for what you do.

[00:03:41] Your competition might be traipsing all over your territory, but you can still run a business. Your competitors may be copying your every move, but some customers will still want to buy from you. Find out why. Find out why your customers stick with you instead of your competitors. Then, double down on that angle. Find out how customers stumbled across your work. Then, double down on that promotion strategy. Find out where customers heard about you. Then, double your presence there.

[00:04:08] Just because someone else is doing something similar doesn't mean you can't build a business. There's a place for what you do. And three, don't let competition hold you back. Finding a competitor who does what you do can be debilitating. You think, someone's already beat me to it. You doubt yourself. You second-guess your unique experiences. And ultimately, you don't take action. But how many times have you bought something from a clear competitor to another purchase you'd already made? Likely more than you realize.

[00:04:38] Looking at my bookshelf, I have eight different books on writing. My music library is full of dozens of various singer-songwriter-musicians. My personal computer is a Mac, and my work computer is a PC. Just last month, I purchased two programs that turned blog posts into PDFs. I guarantee these two companies think of themselves as competitors. But I bought both because they are different enough for me to want features from each. The fact of the matter is, nobody owns the market on what you offer.

[00:05:06] They may have market share, but they don't own it. You can come in with a different price. You can play up a unique angle. You can establish more trust. You can advertise where they aren't. You can do any number of things to land business for yourself without going head-to-head with your opponent. When my business coach told me, nobody owns the market on productivity, he was telling me not to worry about the competition. He was also reminding me that I was making excuses for not taking action. Don't let your competition hold you back.

[00:05:36] Know your unique creative differences. Find an angle. And take massive action. You just listened to the post titled, Finding Your Value Despite the Competition. By Michael Melberg of MichaelMelberg.com. Shaq here. What's it like to buy a car from Carvana 100% online and get it delivered to your door? Let me tell you. Your car is here, Mr. Shaq. Thank you, Mr. Carvana guy. Can't wait to take it for a spin.

[00:06:05] Only the best for you, Mr. Shaq. Hey, have you always been so big, tall, and handsome? Not always. I was 6'10 once. Seven days to love it or return it, Mr. Shaq. Not that I would. You never do. No, I never do. So buy your car today on Carvana. Delivery fees may apply. See our 7-day return policy at Carvana.com. Fall savings are happening now at The Home Depot. Save up to $500 on select appliances. Plus, enjoy free delivery when you spend $998 or more.

[00:06:33] From prepping to cooking to cleaning up, Frigidaire has you covered. The custom flex temp drawer switches from fridge to freezer. With more than 15 cooking modes, including stone-baked pizza mode, you can enjoy restaurant-quality pizza in as little as 2 minutes. Then clean up with the Frigidaire dishwasher featuring the industry's fastest normal wash cycle. Shop fall savings now at The Home Depot. Offer the value for October 21st. USLAC store online for details. And big thanks to Michael, who is a family man, an entrepreneur, a business professional,

[00:06:59] fitness nut, organization freak, productivity junkie, and the author of Home Early, a book about destroying distraction, becoming powerfully productive, and finishing work before dinner. And you can actually get the first chapter of that book for free with a bunch of worksheets to go along with it right on his site, michaelmelberg.com. That's M-E-H-L-B-E-R-G. So come check that out and show him some support. And that's going to do it for today. I thank you so much for being here with me and listening all the way through.

[00:07:28] And I'll be back with you tomorrow, where your optimal life awaits. .