There Is No Such Thing as Competition

A wise friend of mine has often said, "There is no such thing as competition." I happen to agree with that philosophy. In fact, I have many solid business and social relationships with people you might consider my "competition". Some of my best friends are "competitors"!

Whenever I mention this, most business people disagree. "How can you say that," they protest, "when every month I lose business to competitors?"

I explain why my viewpoint is different. Certainly, there will always be other people in the same kind of business as ours, but that's not a bad thing. It keeps us motivated, and stimulated. And it also allows more people to learn about our type of business, which makes them more knowledgeable when we talk to them. I truly believe that there is enough business out there for everyone if -- and this is the key factor -- we are providing something valuable and unique enough to our target market.

Here's what I mean. The public relations business certainly has no shortage of agencies and independent practitioners. When I started my company three and a half years ago, my focus was traditional marketing and public relations, with standard retainer and project fees.

But along the way, my direction changed. My clients and prospective clients gave me other insights and ideas that led to the creation of new concepts and services (the Do-It-Yourself Public Relations Kit ? and P.R. Buddy Program ? for do-it-yourselfers, and the Pay for Results Publicity Program ? for people who wanted a more concrete way to gauge public relations efforts). These new products and services have led to more clients and profits.

So how do you become busy, profitable and not afraid of competition?

1. Create something truly unique and valuable. If you build it right, clients will come. Examples: JetBlue Airlines, cell phones, broadband Internet access.

2. Remind your existing clients and tell your prospective clients about your Unique Value Proposition. Whether it's through a newsletter, advertising or a P.R. story, make sure your target market knows what you have to offer. For example, whenever I send out this e-mail newsletter, I get all kinds of responses from people -- some just saying "hi," some telling me they enjoyed the newsletter, some who are interested in my services, and others who are even referring clients to me!

3. Do the best possible job. If you do, you won't even have to ask for more business or for referrals. People will be happy to help themselves and others by working with you again.

Copyright 2005 Margie Fisher All Rights Reserved

Margie Fisher is President of Margie Fisher Public Relations. She is also the author of the Do-It-Yourself Public Relations Kit?. To sign up for her free biweekly PRactical P.R. newsletter, and to see more free articles, visit http://www.margiefisher.com

---

Driving Near School Buses in Company Vehicles

School BusesWhen approaching a school bus: Slow down; If the... Read More

Press Kit Elements That Work

Considering how fundamental they are to the publicist's trade,it's always... Read More

What is GuerrillaPR Anyway?

Public relations is the art, as one of my colleagues... Read More

Preparing For Your Media Interview

Media interviews are an important part of an overall public... Read More

Publicizing Your Company

Got a huge need for publicity and a tiny publicity... Read More

10 Secrets to Free Publicity

Public relations is popular because it is very cost-effective and... Read More

Pressure From the Top?

Yes, and that pressure often comes from a CEO who... Read More

Public Relations: Why it Works

The short answer is, it works best when its fundamental... Read More

Knowing the Community

You are in business for yourself, but how well do... Read More

Media Relations: Ending the Press Release Crutch

When most people think of media relations, they think of... Read More

Managers Who Leave PR to Others

You're a business, non-profit or association manager who needs to... Read More

Media Exposure Validates And Legitimizes Your Business

Although repetition is extremely important, there are times when advertising... Read More

Publicity: When Calling a Reporter, Keep it Short

When you are planning to call a reporter for the... Read More

Building The Best Network

If you want to succeed, build a great team. A... Read More

Writing A Press Release

News releases (also called press releases) are an important part... Read More

Public Relations 8 Fix Factors

I say to business, non-profit and association managers, a key... Read More

Same Time Next Year: Using Editorial Calendars as Part of your PR Efforts

It's the time of year when calendars crowd out the... Read More

What Is Best Practice Public Relations?

Why, public relations that stays true to its fundamental premise,... Read More

Put Yourself in the Reporters Shoes

Imagine you're the technology reporter at a daily newspaper. You... Read More

PR Failure Defined

I define public relations failure this way:key audience perceptions are... Read More

Whats Important About PR?

Quite a bit, actually. Public relations helps business, non- profit... Read More

Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Create Your Very Own Story to Get Free Publicity

One big mistake that many marketing-minded financial planners make when... Read More

Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Its Not Who You Know But What You Know

Almost every day, I hear the same question, over and... Read More

Publicity: Three Tips on Writing a Press Release

Use journalistic styleReporters are busy. Just like you.So when you... Read More

Can Your PR Do This?

Can your PR do something positive about the behaviors of... Read More

35 Quick Tips for Writing A Press Release

Layout1. 1-2 pages in length.2. Double-space.3. 1.5 to 2 inch... Read More

Want This Kind of PR?

PR that really does something positive about the behaviors of... Read More

Business Growth for Financial Planners in Five Easy Steps

Attracting new business: sometimes it happens by luck, sometimes by... Read More

Publicity: The Right Way for Marketing-Minded Financial Planners to Follow Up with a Reporter

Let's say you've called a reporter with some ideas for... Read More

Mission-Critical Public Relations?

As a business, non-profit or association manager, any tool that... Read More

Franchise Work Vehicles Should Have a Flag on Them

If you own a franchise and have company vehicles, be... Read More

The Ten Ps of PR

Everyone is talking about the Ps of successful marketing, so... Read More

A Managers PR Paradigm

If you manage a department, division or subsidiary for a... Read More