{"id":32233,"date":"2020-10-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-21T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/compare-yourself-to-the-best\/"},"modified":"2024-01-17T11:34:27","modified_gmt":"2024-01-17T11:34:27","slug":"compare-yourself-to-the-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/customer-experience\/compare-yourself-to-the-best\/","title":{"rendered":"Compare Yourself to the Best"},"content":{"rendered":"\"Military<\/a>Stop comparing yourself to the competition.\r\n\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s okay to ask yourself, \u201cWhat are they doing that we aren\u2019t?\u201d However, that can be a dangerous question. I use the word dangerous<\/em> to warn you that all you are doing is \u201cbaseline thinking.\u201d I call it that because it\u2019s at the base.\r\n\r\nRealize that others in your industry are probably asking themselves the same question. If all you do is copy your competitor, then you risk being the same as them\u2014not an organization that\u2019s different, and ideally better. In worst-case scenarios, you become a commodity. It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re B2B or B2C, you become just another version of the same. I encourage you to take it a step further and make it better.\r\n\r\nMy suggestion is to go beyond the competition and look at the best companies from any and every industry. That said, there are steps that address the competition. This is a real opportunity to improve. To help you do this, I came up with a process to get you from just thinking about how to be better than your competition to actually becoming better.\r\n\r\n1.<\/strong> Assemble your team, which includes leadership and several other members from various departments that include front line and behind-the-scenes responsibilities. The key is having a diverse group of thinkers.\r\n\r\n2.<\/strong> Even though I want you to think beyond your competition, you should still do the exercises in this step and the next. List your competitors and ask two questions: \u201cWhat are we doing that they don\u2019t do?\u201d followed by, \u201cWhat are they doing that we don\u2019t do?\u201d The first question will make you feel good about yourself and your company if, in fact, you do something different. The second question will help you find that \u201cdangerous opportunity.\u201d You must be able to keep up with your competition, and this exercise helps.\r\n\r\n3.<\/strong> Make a plan to execute on what\u2019s needed to keep up. If you do copy what someone else is doing, try and find a way to make it your own. Improve on it or give it a twist. Look for differentiation, not duplication.\r\n\r\n4.<\/strong> Time for another meeting. Get the same group together for another brainstorming session and start with the question, \u201cWhat companies, not including competitors, do you like doing business with the most?\u201d Make a list. It doesn\u2019t matter what type of business it is. Popular companies and brands include Amazon, Apple, Nordstrom, Zappos, and others recognized for amazing service and customer experience. The list could include a local restaurant, a shoe-repair, real estate agency, law firm, manufacturer and more. Any company counts.\r\n\r\n5.<\/strong> Share why you enjoy doing business with them. Everything counts. The more on this list, the better\u2014even if it seems like common sense.\r\n\r\n6.<\/strong> Make a note of everything they do that you already do. Feel good about this. Take a moment to celebrate!\r\n\r\n7.<\/strong> Now comes the fun part. Look at that list and determine if there are other things they do that you don\u2019t do. This is the opportunity to find ways to increase the level of service and experience that not only you don\u2019t do, but that your competition doesn\u2019t do either. This is the experience growth opportunity, and it is what will help set you apart from the competition.\r\n\r\nWhy do business with you? Going through this process will make that question easy to answer. Compare yourself to the best\u2014from any industry\u2014and borrow their best service ideas<\/a>. Your value proposition is a unique or different process or approach that will help you get new business as well as retain existing business. And who doesn\u2019t want that?\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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