Finding Your Point Difference

If you’re competing with other retailers you have already lost the race and that’s because if you aren’t able to point the difference between you and those whom you believe you’re competing with, then you have failed miserably in the development of your USP (Unique Selling Point).

Today’s trends and expectations are very different from those of 20 years ago and more than that the trends of today are incredibly dynamic meaning that to maintain your “A Game” you will need to be able to motivate, create and innovate!

So how do we define our point of difference and how do we stop competing with other retailers?

Well it’s a great question and interestingly the answer lies mostly with you and your mindset.

See, our mindset plays a major role in not just who we are and what we do, but also how we are perceived by our customers and what they really think of us.

If your mindset is one that reflects a dim, dark and very disillusioned persona then it’s fair to say that your results will reflect the same.

And yet with just a small shift in your thinking you can change that dark and disillusioned mindset into something that’s bright, happy and cheerful which means your energy will be at a much higher level, your motivation will be at a much higher level and the energy you are sending out to others will also be so much more exciting and appealing.

It is well documented that attitude is a reflection of our mindset and can be summarised with the following way:

Thoughts = Feelings = Actions = RESULTS

So if your results aren’t what you want then you need to change your thinking because your results are the manifestation and direct result of your thinking.

But hang on, this article was supposed to be about finding your point of difference?

Well surprise, this is your point of difference because who you are as an individual and who you are as a brand is inherently reproduced in your activities and actions all of which will ultimately be reflected in your bottom line.

See everything has changed, the good old days where customer loyalty existed and where brand alliance existed and where you didn’t need a competitive advantage have all changed so what used to be our unique selling point or proposition is now all about redefining who we are, rebranding ourselves and calibrating ourselves and our product to the economic and social circumstances that we are experiencing.

We need to redefine who we are as well as the product and service we are supplying.

We can’t afford to look at our circumstances and think that it’s good enough because it’s never going to be good enough and that’s because we are living in an incredibly dynamic time where everything is changing and where nothing stays the same for too long.

We need to be constantly developing our product, our merchandise mix, our creative skills, our intellectual prowess, our education and indeed our customer’s perception of who we are and what we offer.

We simply cannot afford to rest on our laurels any longer – those days are long gone. We have to be tenacious and driven to be the best version of ourselves we can possibly be.

And when you get your mindset right, and when you understand that you are the point of difference and that your mindset will determine if you enjoy the levels of success you truly desire, then you will have a very clear advantage over your perceived competition who will simply watch in awe as you pull away from them because you chose to move with the times and become a product of the product.

And when you become so deeply associated with your product or brand that you eat sleep and breathe it, then you will also bring your passion to the product and ultimately to the sale.

And when you begin to further educate your mind on the limitless possibilities that exist within you, everything will change.

• You can develop your “WILL” to enable you to stay focused on the task at hand.
• You can develop your “IMAGINATION” to allow your creative skills to come through.
• You can develop your “INTUITION” which will give you access to infinite possibilities.
• And you can develop your “MEMORY” to retain useful ideas, useful thoughts and to tap into lessons already learned.

And through all of this, you will (as a matter of default) develop your powers of “REASONING” which will allow you to create better choices and make better decisions.

And finally with all this incredible mind power we are left with just one more primary faculty and that of course if “PERSISTENCE” … nothing can take the place of Persistence.

When you develop your persistence and temper it with discipline and the faculties we just mentioned you will literally become unstoppable because you will become the “Point of Difference” that you are looking for.

Trust in yourself, believe in yourself and continue to build your knowledge and increase your levels of understanding and awareness and within uncommon hours, your results will reflect the success you seek.

I’m Christopher Shaw and I’m Wishing You Continued Success!

Read Why You Need To Maximise In-Store Performance