I have a question for you.
Have you ever wondered why you are captivated by some people and things and not by others? Or what makes you remember a person, business, or brand and completely forget the rest?
In other words, how exactly does one differentiate themselves to others in a very successful way? And how can YOU better differentiate yourself to those that matter to you or those who you want to influence?
So, first let’s talk about what in the heck is differentiation. Purely defined, differentiation is the process of distinguishing a person, product, or service from others to make it more appealing to a particular target of interest.
At the moment you successfully achieve differentiation, you have attained an intense state of influence and power in the perception of others. In other words, in their minds, you have acted in a way which somehow radically jolted their personal emotions, values, or preferences in some way – either positively or negatively.
When you successfully differentiate yourself to someone, they have gained a strong perception about you which separates you from your peers, competitors, and the masses. The key is to differentiate yourself “as the go-to” option of choice versus being the option to “avoid at all costs”.
All successful leaders and those who have created strong personal/product brands, have succeeded in convincing those that matter that they have earned the right to be the “option of choice”. This is very important in the workplace and in business because earning the right to be heard allows for you to more closely connect with your target audience and influence their behavior. For example, it lays the path to being exposed to new opportunities, securing new deals/revenue, earning promotions, etc.
Think about it. Differentiation fuels the world. Those who stand out in a positive way- such as being new, different, refreshing, impressive, or dynamic – rise above their peers, catch the attention of the masses, and are considered the leaders in their organizations or industries.
Perceived differentiation is what powers the campaigns of successful elected officials. Perceived differentiation is the key which helps leaders select the shortlist of employees to get promoted. Perceived differentiation is what makes you choose one toothpaste over another. Perceived differentiation generates followership- those who care about you and what you have to offer. And those who achieve this pinnacle are the ones who reap the lion share of rewards, such as profits, new job opportunities, leadership appointments, awards, etc.
So, the question of the day – How differentiated are you? Do you even know? Find out now by taking our free 5 minute quiz to gain insights on how differentiated YOU truly are!
