Up Against a Standard

In the dog show world, each dog competes against its established breed standard. The dogs that are given winner ribbons present the closest to that standard as determined by the show judges. When competing against your competitors who provide similar services or products, standing out among them is how you may win that business .

Recently. A professional colleague won a project because of her personal brand. She was up against tough competition from both small and large firms. Education and professional accomplishments were quite impressive among all the final teams. When the call came that the project committee wished to work with her, she asked them what made her proposal the winning one. The answer was that the proposals were very similar or ‘standard’ but hers was set apart from the others by her!

In the example above, the winning professional won business based on who she was. Personality, delivery, presentation skills - they all can set you apart from the pack. Business proposals are all compared to one another but can often all be similar as often a script from the project committee is provided and expected to be followed. Just like the many breeds of dogs lined up at a show, looking quite similar to one another, a silhouette of the perfect breed profile can make one stand out in the crowd.

The next time you are competing for business, remember it is not always about the price. You and your team have singular talent that can stand out on its own. Otherwise, you would not have been asked to propose. Identify what that is - your brand, your location, your education, your style, your community reputation, the list can go on and on. Find what makes you and your team a winning combination and emphasize your winning stance.

Be well.