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Having a Competitive Edge
All commercial businesses, regardless of their industry, have one thing in common. If they don’t have a sustainable competitive edge they will soon be in difficulties.
Traditionally it was believed that if you could beat the competition on price, delivery and quality then your business was a guaranteed success. Today however, customers expect these fundamentals to be part of every business’ basic offering, rather than something that sets them apart. Having a good value, high quality product or service that is delivered when the customer wants is now taken for granted. How else then can your business create a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) to make it stand out and gain a competitive edge?
When all other things are equal, customer service provides ample opportunity for your business to excel. The way your staff communicates with customers is vital – your staff has to have a contagious attitude and an understanding of what your company is about, and they have to pass this enthusiasm to the customer.
Try the Competitive Performance Chart below by first putting a line that represents your company. Add further lines showing your competitors and a final line showing the market’s needs.
T.I.P. (To Improve Performance)
- Price, delivery and quality are now assumed.
- Understand what your USP is and make sure your staff know what it is.
- To be competitive it is vital you understand where your competition are and what they offer.
Remember: When you compete using the personal touch you automatically create a USP as the competition don’t have your people and they are unique to you.
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