It seems everyone wants opportunities where there is little or no competition. As desirable as that can be, it is not always the best plan. First of all, if there is money to be made, there will be competition later even if that is not the case now. If there is a bandwagon, it will get overloaded until the axles break. A better plan is to learn the secret of how to capture more business so your competitors are at a loss to catch you.

The secret to “stealing” business from your competitor is surprisingly simple, but that does not mean easy. It does not require you to be mean, ruthless, or unethical. It is actually the exact opposite because no one likes a bully. The secret is: you need to be better than your competition in a minimum of one area. As simple as this is, it easily gets missed and very few are doing it, which is why the strategy works so well.

The amount of competition does not matter if you grasp the principle of doing your best. It is the very fact that you have competition that should motivate you to be better so everyone will want to buy from you. By being the best in at least one respect, you are taking advantage of a flaw in human nature. By nature, we gravitate toward the path of least resistance. Those who follow this path miss out on the rewards of those who take the path less traveled.

Most of your competition is not doing their best, or they are looking for fast and easy, which leaves you a wide open opportunity. Let me quickly address those competitors you may have who are the exception to this rule. If your competition is strong in a certain area because they are the exception, it might be better if you look for a need they are not filling and capture the market in a different area, or seek a niche market.

Allow me to use one of those “when I was a kid” examples. I shoveled a lot of snow for income. I always shoveled the full width of driveways, walks, and steps with nice clean edges. In other words, I did high quality work. I may have had to knock on a lot of doors to get business initially, but I had no problem getting repeat business, and often received more than my asking price.

My primary business now is web design and graphic design. To say those two areas are competitive would be an understatement. Yet I have no trouble with competition. One great source of business is people who are displeased with their current designers, which is a widespread problem. Once these people find out that I don’t operate like so many others who think this should be easy money, I retain their loyalty, even when my prices are higher.

Another big advantage if you have a lot of competition is that it indicates there is a large market. Unproven businesses do not offer that advantage. Maybe you’re thinking, “Who am I to think I can be better than all these competitors? Isn’t that kind of arrogant?” For one thing, you may only need to be better in one area as I have already indicated. Another thing is that when you make the effort to do your best, you have taken a step that most people never take simply because it’s not human nature. There’s not much competition in that playing field no matter how many are competing in your business.

The principle of doing your best to succeed in business would not be complete without mentioning the importance of marketing. Please do not confuse marketing with advertising. Although you need to get the word out through some type of advertising, marketing is a much bigger picture. It is safe to say that doing your best is usually not enough without good marketing. Good marketing is so powerful it can even help a bad business, or a bad politician for that matter.

Great marketing is part of doing your best. It involves everything from identifying your target market to creating sales. Part of your marketing will be to create your “brand.” Many people think branding is only for big business. That’s just not true. Going back to when I shoveled snow as a kid, when I knocked on the door of a previous customer, my branding was that they could expect my work to be so good, they would tell other shovelers, “No thanks,” and wait for me to show up. Yeah, that actually happened!

So really, you don’t want to just take business away from your competitor. You want your customers to be so happy that no one can take them away from you. If they should happen to get lured away by a better price, they will be back when they find out that you are doing your best, and the low price provider does not share your higher standards. If your customer is concerned only about price, let them go. You have lots of competitors who will fight for the scraps that fall from your table.

Steve Chittenden seeks to help business owners and organizations market themselves effectively and succeed. His company, Creative Business Services, provides carefully planned web design, graphic design, writing, and marketing services aimed at achieving this goal. Please visit www.cbscreative.com for more information.

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People BUY with emotions and they justify the sale with logic. So, do you know what your customer is really buying? Psychologists tell us that customers only buy one thing…good feelings.

That’s it! Think about it. You may have to dig a little to understand this concept. Think back to when you bought your last car (vehicle). When you were considering buying it, remember thinking how good if felt to drive, how nice it looked, the “new car” smell, maybe you even thought about bragging to family, friends, or co-workers……these are ALL good feelings.

Then, after you bought the vehicle and you were talking to other people about it, then it was “it gets great gas mileage, I got a good deal on it, it’s practical cause we can haul the kids around, the insurance is cheaper on it”, etc. See how it works?

That’s why when you sell something you sell the “benefits” of what it will do FOR the customer…not the “features”. Too many times salespeople try to sell features.

What’s the difference? Features are what your product or service, have or do…..Benefits are what it does FOR the customer. Your customers like to listen to the radio station, WII FM….What’s In It For Me. Make your message geared to, “What’s In It For Them”.

Focus on the emotions. Because what are good feelings, emotions.

And to stir up the emotions you sell the benefits of your product or service. Think of it this way, Benefits equals Emotions.

Let’s look at an example for a car,”as you sit in the plush driver’s seat, you feel like you are sitting in your favorite recliner at home. You are surrounded by magnificent music as if you are in your own auditorium. You notice the car seems to glide along the highway as you realize you are saving money because this car has great fuel economy.”

Now this is just a small example (maybe a little exaggerated), but doesn’t it sound better than, leather or cloth interior (whatever you pictured in your mind), AM/FM/CD Player, electronic stabilization, twenty-five miles to the gallon.

See, you “paint the picture” of the customer enjoying your product or service. This is why you, Sell the Benefits!

Steve Hurst has been working in sales and marketing for over 30 years. For 10 years he had his own computer business which included website building and consulting. The past 5 years he’s owned his own Business & Technology consulting business. Using his sales and marketing skills along with his knowledge of technology, he’s helping his clients increase their sales and profits by utilizing today’s technology. For more information go to http://www.spnmarketing.com

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Mining companies are experts in mining ore-bodies and in most cases do not have the expertise or personnel to deal with the selling of surplus equipment. They are too busy doing what they do best and that is running the operation! Whether the asset is no longer economical to operate due to standardization, vintage or a change in mining methods, equipment gets parked and eventually becomes surplus.

Often when equipment has been deemed obsolete or surplus, operations take the position it needs to be liquidated regardless of what return on investment (ROI) is achieved. Sadly, even to the extent the asset is scrapped out or cut up for residual scrap metal values. When the expertise, personnel or time to deal with the task of selling surplus heavy equipment is lacking, it is not unusual for this path to be taken.

The future of marketing mining equipment is no different than marketing any commodity being sold today. To be successful, most businesses use all the standard mediums, however more dollars are being shifted into on-line or internet advertising every day. The internet works for you 24/7 and is the most cost effective medium available to Mining companies looking to move surplus assets. Rather than peruse dated newspaper or magazine subscriptions miners are shopping on-line.

Equipment Portals

MiningSurplus.com - assets disposal portal is capable of handling all surface mining, underground, oil and gas, milling, plant process, smelting surplus equipment and related parts. MiningSurplus.com is the only portal which manages all surplus equipment a mining property can generate. Launched in 1999, MiningSurplus.com permits other mining companies to use the portal by way of an annual subscription fee. For mining companies looking for that all inclusive solution miningsurplus.com is your best option.

Machinery Trader - Specific focus is on heavy equipment.

Used Iron.com - Target market is rolling stock and heavy equipment, this site does not support parts and mill plant process equipment disposal categories.

On-line portals for marketing heavy equipment and surplus mining equipment is cost effective, attracts a global market, is available 24/7 and is where the seller will earn the best returns by targeting end users. Present long equipment deliveries, higher start-up costs are also encouraging mining operations and construction companies to look at used.

This is the future of heavy equipment and mining equipment marketing and the internet has stream-lined and simplified this onerous task while delivering the highest possible ROI for the company and its shareholders.

Mario Talarico, over the last 25 years has worked for some of the largest mining companies in the world. He has extensive experience in the procurement of mining equipment and start-ups of new mining operations. As a member of the Teck Cominco Materials Management Group, Mario also assisted with a number of mine site closures and asset disposal issues. This experience led to the development of the http://www.MiningSurplus.com assets disposal portal. He quarterbacked the initial development in 1998 and continues to be the main site contact. To learn more about an on-line subscription with MiningSurplus.com online asset disposal portal please go to http://www.miningsurplus.com/subscriptions

This article may only be used in it’s entirety, with the author’s Resource Box attached. All links must remain included and no changes may be made to the article without the author’s prior permission.

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