Leadership is critical. Over the past few weeks, I talked a lot about the idea of dominating your market. It's a topic that resonates with a lot of business owners and salespeople, but it also appears to make some people uncomfortable. So today, instead of talking domination, I'd like to talk to you about leadership. Every market has leaders. They are people who are known for what they do, liked and respected for their ability to provide valuable solutions and trusted to get the job done for their clients. So let's forget about market domination for a moment and just ask, "are you currently leading your market?" Are you seen as the primary go-to person in your market for the products and services you offer? It's a pretty simple yes or no question. Because you are either leading your market or you're not. And if you're not, it's likely that someone else is. If you look at the primary characteristics of leadership in any market, you'll notice that they possess many of the same qualities. 1. Visibility. This is where it all starts because if people don't know you exist, it's impossible for them to do business with you and it's impossible for you to lead. In fact, leadership aside, if you look at the sheer number of business failures each year, you will recognize that many companies fail to create even survival-level visibility and recognition, let alone leadership level. So if you're not yet thriving, you probably have a visibility problem. Not enough people in your market know you exist. 2. Clear value. Even if I know you exist, it doesn't mean I'll want to buy from you. The benefits of doing business with a market leader are always clear and obvious. If I have to wonder why I should choose you over every other option available to me, you can't lead. If I think that anyone else can do the same job, the same way, for the same price or less, you can't lead. Instead, you need to create a level of awareness that makes clear to the market that the value you provide is exceptional and worth paying for. 3. A Track Record of Success. Market leaders successfully demonstrate they know what they're doing. They serve and satisfy their clients. Very few people want to be the guinea pig. They don't want to be the experiment. They want to work with those who have a proven track record of success, and if you've worked with and impressed people they know, they will be far more likely to do business with you and to view you as the leader. So if you want to lead, ask yourself, am I visible to enough of the people I want to sell to? Is the value I offer to them clear, understandable and better than what they can get elsewhere for a similar price? And, can I demonstrate to them that I do this successfully, with enough other people so they can feel totally comfortable and confident choosing me, rather than every other option available to them? Ready to Demonstrate Leadership in Your Market? If so, check out the five primary ways we help promotional product distributors grow: Just Getting Started? If you (or someone on your team) is just getting started in promotional products sales, learn how we can help. Need Clients Now? If you’re already grounded in the essentials of promotional product sales and just need to get clients now, click here. Want EQP/Preferential Pricing? Are you an established industry veteran doing a significant volume of sales? If so, click here to get End Quantity Pricing from many of the top supplier lines in the promo industry. Time to Hire Salespeople? If you want to hire others to grow your promo sales, click here. Ready to Dominate Your Market? If you’re serious about creating top-of-mind-awareness with the very best prospects in your market, schedule a one-on-one Strategy Session here.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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