How to Get Ahead in a Crowded Market

Based on my experience across Latin America in import, export, distribution, services, and more, I have started to notice a few keys that get people to pay attention when it is time to do business. Markets today are saturated with offers.

There are countless large companies that already hold huge shares of the market, and hundreds if not thousands of small businesses trying to claim a slice of the pie.

5 ways to get buyers to pay attention to you

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1- Venture into the unknown

We are living through a communications revolution, and to succeed you need to be part of the new world order. People communicate in real time. Social networks are easy to use, completely free, and reach every human being on the planet with an internet connection.

A large share of the “monsters” in your industry have been in the market for years, and more often than not they keep doing what already works for them. Remember that if you enter a competitive market, the only way to succeed is by offering something that is not being done yet.

Use social media to your advantage, work differently, speak to your consumer and your client without middlemen. Make them part of your story and build a community. If your offer stands out and meets a need the big players still have not filled, you will earn a slice of the pie.

2- The buyer is the boss

With near-perfect information available on the internet and social media, the idea of “mystery” in the sales process is over. Your salespeople cannot sell the old way because buyers research on their own the moment they consider working with new companies and buying new products and services.

There is no more “selling.” There is only “buying.”

You may not have noticed it, but this is almost certainly your process too: You research companies before a first meeting. Who is the CEO, who are the active clients, what does their Facebook or Instagram page look like? You check LinkedIn before interviewing a candidate for a job opening. Do we have contacts in common? You read product reviews before buying on Amazon, Mercado Libre, or any online store. You watch the trailer on YouTube before deciding whether to go to the theater or wait and watch it at home.

When buyers have near-perfect information on the web, we must shift from being sellers to being authorities, and your organization must tell a story.

The key is to understand your buyers, carefully identify and define your audiences, and decide what content is required to meet their needs.

3- Customers no longer care about the product or the service

The main mistake most companies make is falling in love with their product or service, not with their customers.
— A. Robbins

What people care about is how a company can solve their problems. People also like to have fun and share something extraordinary. You must resist the temptation to promote your products and services. Instead, create something interesting that people will share online. When you get people talking, they will line up to learn more and buy what you offer.

4- Educate, do not sell

In today’s market, successful entrepreneurs educate and inform. Instead of talking about their products and services, they showcase their expertise by sharing:

• Videos,
• Content-rich blogs
• Active social networks with engaging content
• Informative websites,
• E-books and images.

Instead of trying to sell, sell, and sell the old-school way, stuffing product and service ads into your buyers’ heads, give free access to useful information. And not only that way. You can also join online conversations on topics where you are the expert. It is part of the newsjacking process.

If someone asks a question on Twitter, LinkedIn, Mercado Libre, or Amazon, that is your chance to engage. There are always people looking for your expertise. Being helpful is an excellent way to reach people at the right moment.

The best teachers are respected by their market. People will seek you out when you help them and will be eager to do business with you.

5- Real-time communication

As you have read so far, this article focuses on modern media, especially social networks. And while phones let you answer a client in real time (if you pick up when they call), social media and the internet in general let you answer everyone in real time.

Real time means right now, not this afternoon or tomorrow. Right now, immediately, with no excuses and no delay. At any moment an issue can go viral for a global audience, and you need to be ready. If you are the first to spot an opportunity and the first to act, there is huge potential to amplify your message and convince new buyers to do business with you.