Now you may not be in the same breath with the greats, yet, but it’s a worthwhile goal.
And while you may or may not be a master sculptor or painter, you are really good at what you do, right?
The question to ask yourself is “Am I (and my company) SO good at what we do that we not only are first in the minds of prospects looking for our service, but price isn’t all that relevant in their decision?”
You’ve probably seen this ad and laughed…
Not only do you not want to have this guy doing your surgery, you don’t want to BE this guy in the minds of your prospects and customers.
Need #5 on the Order level of the Business Hierarchy of Needs is Mastery Reputation.
Question: Are you known for being the best in your industry at what you do?
Being considered a master of your craft most likely means you are going to have to narrow down your focus and commit to serving a specific target market. The individuals who are considered greats usually niche down pretty tight. It’s hard to have a reputation as “all things to all people” and attract the best clients, whom I’ll describe here as hungry for your services and willing to pay for them.
In the fitness industry the foremost example that comes to my mind is Eric Cressey and Cressey Performance. I have been at Cressey Performance in Massachusetts a number of times, and heard Eric speak when he was an “up and comer.” He has always been dedicated to athletic performance, but it is his focus on baseball players, and particularly pitchers, that has made him the “go to” for many in the baseball world when it comes to arm and shoulder health and mechanics. The work he has put into to faithfully and consistently master his craft has reaped huge dividends. When I think of Eric, I think “Baseball”. If my son was a pitcher, that’s where I’d want him to train.
It’s common to think that by adding more services you are are attracting more people. And while that MIGHT be true, the flip side is you are often lumping yourself into a crowd it’s very hard to compete with. In the gym world, most businesses we serve are not going to outspend and “out-equipment” the Planet Fitnesses and YMCA’s of the world. The Globo gym down the road offers everything from Aerial Yoga to Zumba, do you really want to try to compete with that?
And it’s not just gyms. The best Barbecue restaurants don’t serve sushi, know what I mean?
So think about it. Who can you and your business be the “go to” for? Who do you really enjoy serving, and how do you enjoy providing those services? Is there something you are doing now that you probably shouldn’t be?
How can your business be the masterpiece you’ve always wanted?