The writing is on the wall, “Adapt, evolve or die.”  While the quid pro quo in effective sales remains providing value for the client, differentiating the value you provide in a marketplace of David and Goliath competitors demands a new mindset that can help you adapt, evolve and thrive.  Yes, small is the new big.  Your ability to really understand your clients and prospects; your ability to develop a micro-niche or micro-niches that differentiate your offerings, entrench your position as a valuable, trusted and top supplier are critical.

Adapt, evolve and thrive by seeing your business, your offerings and your competition with new eyes. 

1.  Adapt

Small is the NEW big.  If you are not leading your current segment, stop trying to beat the competition; find a micro-niche, a small area where you can excel, expand and grow your business and footprint. If you are the competition, the segment leader do not rest on your laurels because your next competitor can be another industry giant or an agile, dynamic start-up.

The new consumer is an informed consumer with access to big brands, small start-ups and everything in between that is competing in an overly crowded marketplace. You need to build and grow footprint of being special, relevant and trustworthy.  How do you, how can you define and communicate all three important differentiators?  YOU need to research your competition with new eyes that help you fill in the gaps they are not seeing and filling.  

2.  Evolve! Stop managing and start optimizing.

Newton taught that every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it. You must apply force to get momentum, but the type of force you need in an overcrowded marketplace is different from before.  You can relentlessly chase after prospects, you can research your competitors and compete with their offerings or you can decide to do things differently by finding the gap that your competitors do not fill and filling it! Take the time to really identify and qualify prospects by using big data information.

3.  Thrive!

Expect challenges and failures; use them to build the cognitive and emotional dexterity you need to think, communicate and do differently.  Turn the challenge into a lever for your greatest potential.  Pie in the sky?  Think again, reflect.  What would happen if you engaged your strengths while transforming changes, challenges and failures into levers for your greatest potential and results?  Our greatest innovations are born of our greatest challenges.  Pick a challenge and find a way to turn it around!  Go ahead, disrupt the status quo by getting smarter, faster and stronger.
 
Adapt, evolve and thrive.  Start seeing your business, your competition, your prospects with new eyes that help you build a stronger footprint of trust, value and customer service.  The imperative to find new ways to stand out, new ways to build trust, create value for your clients and prospects is the fire that can light your imagination, ingenuity and further the grit you need to lead forward!