Hustle… The Great Equalizer

There is always someone faster, stronger, better looking and smarter than you. It is not only a fact of life but in business as well. Chances are that you have a competitor that is leaner, better capitalized, has greater market share and brand recognition; on paper, the deck has been stacked against you. Luckily for you, there are many factors that contribute to your fate in the market place; many of which cannot be so easily quantified. While overtaking your completion with brute force is the path of least resistance it is a luxury typically reserved for those who have already survived many challenging times in the economic arena. For the rest of us we must implement a strategy called “hustle”. Hustle is a form of finesse that we can use to help close the gap between our short comings and our competition’s advantages. When applied correctly it can be the difference between dominating and vanishing from the face of the Earth. There are many variations one can use to out hustle others; each can be used to gain a competitive advantage of your own:

Time - Sweat Equity
We all have the same 24 hours in a day. One common way to apply hustle is to put in sweat equity. What this essentially means is that you spend more PRODUCTIVE time working on your (fill in the blank) than your competition. Putting in sweat equity will allow you to get more done due to the fact that you are simply doing more work over a longer time frame. The main drawback to this strategy is that time is a finite resource; therefore, your ability to leverage your time is capped.

Frequency - Increased Volume
Another hustle strategy is to increase the frequency (to insane levels) of which you interact with your customer base. Whether it be through social media, an aggressive marketing campaign or face-to-face in the community; there is no substitute for staying relevant and keeping the spotlight on you. Customers cannot recognize that your competition has a lower price, has better customer service or simply has a better product if you divert the customer’s attention. This strategy is all about dominating the space and giving the competition no room to breathe.

Quality - Unparalleled Service
Possibly the most powerful of the three because it has the potential to form an emotional bond with you customer base. It is important to note that this strategy takes a great deal of effort and consistency; you must give first then realize the benefits later. However, once you provide impeccable service time and time again customers become very forgiving on price (or other short coming for that matter) if you offer can provide them an excellent experience. Out shine your competition in this area and you will not only form customer loyalty but you can also generate referrals and convert your competition’s customer base into your own.

Think Well. Achieve More. Live Better.

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