Building a loyal following who is aligned with your vision
We are programmed by nature that we need to conform in order to survive.
Throughout our lives, our goal has been to fit in. It starts with fitting in with family, creating that first relationship with your mum and dad, this then expands to siblings. As we grow up and go to school this same desire to fit in, be apart of something keeps growing.
It comes from our deep tribal cultural, in order to survive we must fit in, we need to fit inside the box or be rejected from the group and left to die.
This strategy works great for surviving and making friends, however, if your goal is to run a successful business you are using the wrong strategy. If you are copying your competitors you will always be at a disadvantage, playing catch up. You should definitely still be learning from the competition, but the goal should be to stand out (differentiate).
So how do you stand out from the competition? Which areas do you choose to focus on? I believe the place to start is with your values. What are the values of your business? What do you care about? Which values are in alignment with your overall vision? Chose the 3 values that your company will live by, and stand out by practicing those values and communicating them in your own unique way.
When you are values-based, what you will find is people who share your values and need your service will become your tribe (this is a long-term result of being in alignment).
How???
Start by communicating your vision and values in every way you know how, and keep coming up with new ways to communicate. Whether it is through the products and services you provide that are environmentally friendly and animal-friendly, to the way your service is delivered. This should also be done by interacting and educating your clients utilising social media (take this article for example).
At ‘Success In Motion’ our values are Positivity, Growth, and Empowerment.
We believe that the only way to live and thrive is through viewing the world using a positive lens, always asking the questions; how can I turn this negative into a positive? How can I spin this situation to make it to my advantage? We are always looking to spin everything into a positive. We do this by consciously viewing our failures and the things that do not work and learning from our mistakes so that we keep moving forward and getting better.
The second is Growth, we are always learning, growing and educating our clients so they can keep up with the changes. We help our clients innovate and grow by using a lens of improvement to always ask the questions; How can we make this better? What’re our clients experience an how can we make it easier for them to do business with us?
We believe, “In life, you are either accelerating or slowing down”.
And the third value is Empowerment. In order to create a better company, a better world, we need to inspire and empower people to live with kindness and understanding towards one another. This starts with conscious businesses who are providing real value for their services, making sure as a business they are empowering their clients/ customers/ and employees. Working together to create the best future possible for all.
Studies show that a lot of the troubles we face are due to personal unsatisfaction levels. People feel they have no purpose in life, no one wants to be just another employee or customer. Everyone wants to feel that he or she are part of something bigger, they want to feel important, special and that they matter. This type of culture is easier to create than most companies believe it to be.
It all starts with the values you choose to live by and the lens you choose to look through.
What values do you want to live by?
What values do you want your company to stand for?