And so, businesses and entrepreneurs who are looking to be the best are faced with astronomical competition. There are only so many ‘things’ that one can be the best at. Want to have the BEST business systems? Want to have the BEST customer service? What to have the BEST product? Want to offer the BEST experience?
Unlikely.
And with the rise of globalisation and the information age, you’re no longer competing with your geographical competition, but with everyone. All 7.8 billion of them.
Even to be in the top one percent is incredibly difficult. And even if you get there, being in the top 1% is nothing special. The top 1% ranks you in the top 78 million. Read: Fitness Pros: You’re Not a Unique Snowflake.
However, to be in the top 1% of two or more things… now THAT is special.
If you’re in the top 1% of two things, where those two things intersect… that’s your niche.
Maybe you’re a pretty good hairdresser who’s got a pretty good cupcake recipe. ‘Cuts and Cakes’. The only one of its kind.
Or a pretty good internet marketer with a pretty good voice. ‘The Singing Salesman’.
The common theme? The hairdresser is only ‘pretty good’ Maybe she’s in the top 1%. But that’s not enough. Her cupcakes are only ‘pretty good’. But combine the two, and now she extraordinary. The best cupcake and haircut combination on Earth. A truely UNIQUE selling proposition.
And here’s what happens to your competition when you find this true niche. It disappears. Because the more circles you have that overlap, the more unique you become in that overlap. And if you’re unique, you don’t need a lot of clients to build a successful business – because the small number of people who need what you do (because you solve their unique problems) are your true fans. And you can build success around these fiercely loyal supporters.
So what are the things that you’re ‘pretty good’ at? Where do these circles overlap? That’s where you can deliver value to the world. That’s where you can help people. That’s where you can solve problems. And in the end, solving problems lies at the absolute core of every successful purpose-driven business. Read: Fit Pros: Why You Have to Be The Best on Earth at Something.
There’s nothing that special about being in the top one percent of something. But if you can be in the top one percent of multiple things, where those things intersect – that’s special.
