Turn Your Competitors into Collaborators
Copyright 2006 Alicia M Forest and ClientAbundance.com
Do you get discouraged or stuck in building your business
because you think there's too many others to compete against in
your niche? A lot of solo business owners feel this way,
especially when they are first starting out. I don't want you to
give up before you really get started, so I'd like you to
consider thinking about your competition in a different way.
1. There's an abundance of clients and customers for everyone.
2. Your competitors are potential collaborators and strategic
alliances for you.
3. The better you come to know your competitors, the more you
will become aware of the uniqueness of your own message and your
own offerings.
If you embrace this perspective, you'll find that those feelings
of discouragement and "what's the point - I can't compete" will
melt away.
1. If you come from the mindset of abundance, you won't feel
discouraged by the competition. There are more than enough
clients and customers for everyone. And if you are building your
business online, there is essentially an unlimited audience for
your work.
Think about your niche for a moment. How many of them do you
need to serve to reach whatever your definition of success is?
Then think about how many people there are around the globe who
are your potential clients or customers. Could you really reach
them all, even if you wanted to? :) Of course not.
2. There are several ways that you can collaborate and develop
strategic alliances with others in your niche. You could hold a
teleclass or workshop together. This is particularly helpful if
you are new in business and can hook up with someone more
seasoned, who already has a ready audience built (an email
list). Doing this will also help you gain experience and
confidence to hold them on your own.
You could write an article or a column or even a book together.
For instance, if you are savvy with technology and your partner
is savvy with a certain set of coaching skills, you could work
together to create something unique to offer online to both your
audiences.
Or you could offer a free product (a mini e-book, for example)
to your strategic alliance's membership, which is an added
benefit to them, while it helps to build your email list.
For more tools and resources in building strategic alliances, I
highly recommend SmartMatch Alliances at
http://www.coachingsuccess.com/books.html.
3. Think about those whom you consider your competitors. Are you
offering similar products and/or services that they are, but to
a different target market? Or turn that around: If the market is
the same, are you offering different information? Of course you
are, because your message, your offerings - and the way you
write or speak them - is as unique as you are.
There is a certain segment of the population who can only hear
your message from you. Remember that when you start feeling
frustrated, defeated or just plain stuck.
Once you make this shift, you can start seeing your competitors
as potential collaborators. You can work together to develop
programs, products, services, etc. that will help grow both your
businesses. It will also provide added benefits to both your
audiences, so it's a win-win-win!