What is your Edge over your Competition?

If you can’t put a Square Peg in a Round Hole, then what is your EDGE over your competition?

Too many times sales organization try to emulate what their competition is doing. They create products and services that are “me too” and that dilutes your ability to be unique, special, innovative, i.e., different.

I sell products that are highly standardized. As a matter of fact, my clients can purchase many of the brands that I sell elsewhere.

So what makes me different? What is my “Edge” over my competition? It is my red hair, my wild and crazy personality; it is the Brownies that I have made for my clients each year during the holidays.

Brownies! Seriously, that is what one client told me several years ago. I asked, “Kyle, why do you do business with me?” He said, “It’s those wonderful brownies that you bring me every Christmas.”

Usually around July, he and some of my other guys will start in on me by asking, “Isn’t it about time for some of those Brownies?” I answer, “It ain’t Christmas yet!”

In the marketplace, when all things appear to be equal, there are just a few little details that can make you stand out and shine to your clients. So share with me, what is your Edge?

Peggy P. Edge (c) 2013

Professionalism in the Market Place

I have been asked to speak to the Nursing students at a local college.  I look forward to sharing my 30+ years of war stories in sales with these young people.

Most likely they will roll their eyes at some of my fuddy-duddy ideas of being a professional in the marketplace.  However, some rules never go out of style like, dressing for success not dressing to your own desire–pants-on-the-ground, pink hair, body piercings, etc.

Every industry has prescribed guidelines for what is professional in their market.  Before you go to that first interview you should be aware that you will be meeting someone who is going to make a judgment about you and your character within the first 5 seconds you walk into the room.

Recently a young friend of mine interviewed for a job at a major telecommunications manufacturer here in the DFW area.  Prior to her interview, she was told by the agency that she was working with that she would not be allowed to carry a cell phone into the facility—it must be left in the car.  Oh my, what would she do if someone needed to call her during that time?  Well, duh, they would just have to leave a message.

Yes, some corporations do not allow personal cell phones in the office.  Can you imagine 8 hours of not being in touch with your friends?

I think very few young people coming out of high school and college these days have a sense of what it takes to be successful in a job.  I’m not trying to negative here just realistic.

The bottom line is that if you want to be considered as a professional, you must first look and act the part.

To write or not to write…that is the question!

Hugh Prather wrote in “Notes to Myself,” “If the desire to write is not accompanied by actual writing then the desire is not to write.”

With the invention of social media, that is all we are doing now is writing.  All of us are writing about something–our likes, dislikes, our religious persuasion, our political stance, comments on cats, dogs, ex-husbands and wives, etc.

Because every single one of us is an expert in something, now we have the venue to spout out our innermost thoughts and opinions.

For years, I thought my only expertise was what I did for a living–packaging.  I don’t know everything there is to know about packaging but after 30 years in the industry, I think I’ve learned a thing or two about the subject.

Most recently I have discovered I know a thing or two about several other topics:  business networking; sales training; mentoring.  Why?  Because over almost 30 years in industrial sales, I have some pointers and tips that I can teach other, younger salespeople as well as share my expertise in having owned 2 businesses.

Wow!  I’m a writer now!  You can be too.  Pick up that pen and pad and write what’s on your heart.  It doesn’t matter if you post it on FB, Twitter or any other media but what happens is that it is exciting and exhilarating when you are finished.

Let me know what is on your mind that you are writing about today.