Your Fiercest Competition Creates Success

By: Elinor Stutz, posted on Personal Branding Blog

Your fiercest competition is You!

Are you able to outperform everything you have done in the past? When relentless, and sometimes unusual requests come your way, do you move with agility to complete them on time and in perfect order? Are you doing everything in your power to win?

The real competition

My personal example is that of an event on which I am working designed to teach people how to more easily get hired. An acquaintance sent an article featuring “Betsy” who appears to be in the same realm.

Betsy, like me, has a corporate background but in marketing rather than sales. She is also a certified Coach, resume writer, holds impeccable credentials in the recruiting field, and has held many admirable interviews. My acquaintance asked, “Is Betsy your competition?”

My response was to examine the question from multiple angles. The multi-pronged approach is a good practice for all business endeavors. In the corporate environment, particularly sales, we view the world as being highly competitive. Being alert to everyone around you and embracing flexibility are requirements. Not only do you need to play defense, but at times taking the offense stance becomes a necessity, too.

No competition?

However, in the entrepreneurial online world, I learned there is no competition. This viewpoint is the exact opposite of corporate. Can this possibly be true?

We each have our unique talents that no one else can quite match. Until we clone people, our DNA ensures we are unique. Although someone may try to copy your work, it will never be 100% the same.

Returning to the question about Betsy being my competitor – Yes, we are in the same realm. The initial difference is Betsy brings the marketing side to the table whereas I’m sales specific. She is heavily trained in the career realm whereas I am not. Her credentials are impeccable. My role in the career transition market has always been to provide this portion of my work as community service.

When your competition makes you blue

With all that said, it sounds as if I’m blown out of the water by my “competition”. But there is always the other side of the coin or second side to every story. And this is what you need to keep in mind when you feel knocked down by your so-called competition.

My credentials are having the ability to always get any job I ever wanted even as a teenager. Unknowingly, I used the sales trial-close technique at age 15. As an adult, I once applied for a job that at the time was several steps above my capability. I scrambled to grow into it, and it turned out to be the best of my career. All of my experiences led to writing a book on how to interview best along with community service work of teaching others how they too may have an easier time with the interviewing process.

Is Betsy my Competition? Job applicants, similar to anyone else who is about to purchase, need to go through their qualifying process to determine which road will match their needs best. In my opinion, we are on completely different paths. My talent or DNA type is instructing on how to use sales techniques to sell yourself on interviews, and I do believe it’s quite unique without competitors in this area. This endeavor completes my personal brand.

You be the judge – come join us on April 27 for an Evening of Inspiration, or “Be Inspired to Get HIRED!” Let us know your thoughts. Our mission is to help you achieve your goals.

Embracing the concepts of multi viewpoints, you are a unique being, and working each and every day toward your vision will steer you to the Smooth Sale!

Author:

Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC, (800) 704-1499, was honored by Open View Labs with inclusion in their international list of “Top 25 Sales Influencers for 2012.” Elinor authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results”, Sourcebooks and the best selling career book, “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews”, Career Press. She provides team sales training, private coaching and highly acclaimed inspirational keynotes for conferences. Elinor is available for consultation.