In today’s highly competitive landscape it is crucial to stand out from the competition and take a position of leadership. If you are simply managing your business and career as status quo then you need to revisit this mentality and take on a mindset that every day is a dress rehearsal. Whether your goal is to gain a new client, advance your career or grow your current business it is crucial that we all take advantage of a winning mindset. Our competitors may just show up, but if we perform and practice for the next level then we will be the one exceeding in this competitive landscape. With so many distractions, tasks, checklists, emails, texts, etc. etc. we can all get dragged into a routine of just getting things checked off our list. Here are some simple things you can do on a regular basis to stand out from the competition.
Going the extra mile
Assume the role
Practice makes perfect
Be your own PR manager
Going the extra mile, may sound so simple but you can really stand out by making sure you do this consistently. Ask yourself when is the last time you sent a thank you note….written not emailed? Do you make it a priority to remember clients and co-workers birthdays or special occasions? One tip is to schedule time once a month to send thank you cards. Use this time to thank someone internally for their support and help or thank a client unexpectedly for their partnership. Clients are used to being thanked for an order, how nice would it be to get a note unexpectedly and without money attached. You would be surprised when you actually mail someone a thank you the impact it makes.
Whether you are going for a promotion or trying to land a new client, assume the role! Titles are just linguistics, but how you show up is the way you are perceived. If every day is a dress rehearsal then you should be dressing and acting for your future role. Repeatedly I have seen someone walking down the hallway looking oddly out-of-place. Generally this is because the have been showing up in casual clothes, acting like their current role but as soon as a higher level position arrives and it is interview day they take on a new attitude and new attire. If you show up acting as the boss on the day of the interview it is too late. Assume the role you want today and everyday!
It can be easy to make excuses to why we don’t have time to practice before a presentation, but all great performances have been practiced in private over and over again. You might tell yourself that you are better at “winging it”, but if you look at any successful executive or athlete nothing about their performance has been off the cuff. All great performances have been practiced in private over and over again with the presenter anticipating questions, room set up, potential issues, etc. Making time for practice should be on the top of your to-do list!
You know your own success better than anyone else, so that is why it is important to be your own publicist. There are so many ways to promote your industry knowledge and success and you should be taking advantage of as many tools as possible. I am sure you regularly use LinkedIn to connect with clients and co-workers, but how often do you post industry articles or create your own thought leadership pieces? Do you use twitter? Did you know that you can simply link your Twitter and LinkedIn account so when you post on LinkedIn it tweets the same message – two messages for the price of one. Now if that isn’t working smarter and not harder. Don’t let someone else define your brand…be your own publicist.
As we wrap up the year strong, I think this is great time for all of us to reflect on what we can do differently and how we can accomplish more in 2018. I think using the mindset that every day is a dress rehearsal is a great way for you to accomplish all your personal and professional goals in 2018 and beyond!