© Todd Taulman | stock.adobe.com

Scary thought, right? Why? Because you know within three to five years they’d own 90 to 100 percent of the business in the area and if you weren’t out of business, you’d be hanging on by a shoestring. There are several reasons why this group, even with no prior experience in your industry, and even without their celebrity status to rely on, would absolutely dominate your market. Here they are.

Reason #1: Completely unreasonable, some might even say insane, commitment

If you called their business at midnight on Saturday, how long do you think it would be before you spoke to a live human? Either instantly or within five minutes. How many times would you receive less than stellar customer service or feel like a nuisance to the person answering the phone? Zero. How many times would something not be followed up on? Okay, you get the point. People at the top don’t judge themselves and their organizations based upon what’s reasonable or “acceptable,” they hold themselves, and those around them, to the highest standard possible. This completely unreasonable commitment starts at the top and flows all the way through the organization. How many negative people will you find in the New England Patriots locker room? How many people not doing their job or not holding themselves and others accountable? Right. Zero.

The amount of time, effort, and energy they put in is also disproportional to what others would deem “reasonable.” They are always full-on, pedal-to-the-medal. Michael Phelps was in the pool for eight hours a day, every day, for years before his first Olympics. The best know that seeking “balance” will not get you to the top, never mind keep you there. You need to get unreasonable in what you expect of yourself and others if you’re going to get to and stay at the top.

Reason #2: Focus on differentiation and domination versus competing

The great ones aren’t just looking to be better than the competition and win more business, they’re to be completely different and own the entire market. Look at any leader from FedEx, to Apple, to Wells Fargo. What do they have in common? They shifted the paradigm and completely changed the way their industry was looked at and perceived. Forget best practices. They went outside their industries and broke the mold to create something new.

These leaders also take full advantage of any and all means at their disposal to win. The New England Patriots have used drop-kicks, eligible and ineligible receivers, linebackers chipping Marshall Faulk and receivers in Super Bowl XXXVI, and numerous other plays and concoctions that have the most experienced officials going to the rule book and instant replay…. And other coaches and teams complaining afterwards. Do they push the envelope? Yes. Anyone great over the long haul does.

The best aren’t simply looking for their slice of the pie, they want the whole pie. It amazes me how many companies tell me their annual growth target is something like 3 percent. And that is in a good market. In a good market you can hit 3 percent in a coma. If you asked Oprah Winfrey, Arnold Palmer, and Peyton Manning for their growth goal, what do you think it would be? 25 percent or more. Every year.

Oprah, Arnold, and Peyton would also dominate the airwaves and soundwaves. You’d see and hear them everywhere. From Chambers of Commerce, to community events, to fund raisers, to radio, television, magazines, social media, billboards…. They’d be ubiquitous. You wouldn’t be able to get away from them.

Do as much business as possible at the highest service level possible. Exploit your advantages and do everything you can to ensure everyone knows about you and how you’re unique.

Reason #3: An all-or-nothing, do-or-die, burn-the-boats mindset

The great ones always play with desperation, as if their life depends upon winning. Even when far ahead, the best still compete with urgency as if they are losing. They don’t wait for 9-11, a stock market crash, or an economic downturn to get motivated and moving. They chase business as if they are down to their last dollar and are facing serious threats to their business now.

The best of the best turn over every stone, pursue every avenue, and make sure they’ve done everything possible to win. They burn the boats behind them, cut off all escape routes, determined to win or die trying, there is no return home without victory.

Reason #4: Complete ownership and responsibility for success and failure

The best know the economy, the market, the government, or anything else, does not determine victory or defeat. They do! They realize that, even in the most difficult conditions, someone is knocking it out of the park and doing more business in spite of the reason everyone else is using for failure. The best are contrarians. When everyone else is cutting costs and expenses in an attempt to survive, they double efforts and expand into the marketplace. They significantly increase efforts and outreach. The best create their own economies.

Those at the top always focus on and get better at the basics of doing the work necessary, building relationships, getting better at selling, keeping a good attitude, preparing for the price objection, and building value.

Remember that success is up to you, you own it and control it. Provided you have solid goals and strong enough reasons why you need to get there, you’ll get there.

Reason #5: 100 percent belief and conviction followed by massive action, persistence, and perseverance

The best know they are going to exceed their goals and completely dominate their market and that is their single, laser focus. There is simply no doubt they are going to win their industry’s version of the Super Bowl. They take massive action, again, some would say unreasonable, insane action, to make it happen. Whereas most people far underestimate the amount of work it will take to achieve a goal, the best far overestimate the amount of effort necessary and get to work with a raging fire in their belly. And if they fail? They continue until they succeed. No white flags, no retreat, no surrender.

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