I’m gonna address something that’s come up over and over again, which is this: How do I compete with a company that has more experience than I have?
If you’re the new guy on the block, how the heck can you make a name for yourself? How can you stand out? How are you supposed to compete with the guy who’s been in business for 20 years?
Check out this blog post to get the answers.
What I hear all the time is – Tom, I’m the new guy, and there are 85 other guys in my area who do what I do, and they’ve all been in business for 20 years. How can I be expected to compete with these guys?
I’m gonna share five things that, if you embrace them, will help you kick some serious ass. There’s a lot of benefit to being the new guy.
Let’s get started.
1. OWN IT!
You have got to own this. Own the fact that you’re the new guy. Everybody, at some point in their life, starts out as the new guy. The guy that’s been in business for 30 years in your area? He was the new guy once, too. And look where he is now.
Someone having experience in business does not mean that they’re delivering a great experience for the client. In fact, the companies that have been around for a long time often get complacent because their brand is already established. They feel like they don’t have to put in the work to develop it anymore.
That means that there’s a lot of room for the new guy to come in and deliver a better experience for the client.
Remember – experience in business does not equal success.
2. Don’t Assume
Don’t make assumptions about how someone feels about you being the new company. You don’t know what somebody’s thinking. They might be chompin’ at the bit for a new guy to come onto the scene and put the old guy out of business.
If you assume, you might very well talk yourself right out of a paying customer.
3. Enjoy It!
Being new in business, being younger, being the fresh face on the block…that’s exciting. There’s an energy there that you will never, in your career, ever duplicate. I promise you. There’s nothing like the freshness that comes with being new on the scene, and the passion that you bring as a new business owner.
This is a time for you to learn. Enjoy it.
During this time, when you make a mistake, you can recover quickly. This is a time that, when you need to make a change in your business, you can maneuver quickly. Enjoy that. The bigger you get, the harder it is to turn the ship. This is a time for you to enjoy this, smile, and ride the wave.
Don’t be so hard on yourself. You got this; you can do this.
4. Prove It
When approaching how to compete with more experienced businesses in your area, in your industry, the mindset that I’ve always taken is that I have to prove it.
Prove you’re worth taking a shot with.
When a prospect brings up the concept of you having less experience, hit them with this: I have everything to prove. I’m hungrier, so I have to come through for you. I have to make this work. I have to be on time. I have to nail all of your expectations.
This comes up more frequently on the commercial side of things – not so much the residential realm. That’s why you gotta communicate as clearly as you can – you’re hungry, and you have everything to prove.
Let these customers know that you have to be on the top of your game, which means that they’re gonna get the very best from you. Unlike other companies that probably have 100 customers – let your customers know that, as individuals, they are important to you.
Vanguard their objections – bring them up before they do.
Let your customers know that you don’t have the option of being mediocre. You have to be amazing for them, and you plan on doing just that.
5. Creating Content Is Important
This is where creating content and using social media to establish authority comes into play. More experienced companies are behind the eight ball when it comes to creating content.
So, be visible. Create content. Answer FAQs. Be the go-to expert. Work your fuckin’ ass off and prove that you’re the real deal.
6. Confidence is Contagious
I hear from a lot of guys who are insecure about being the new guy. Here’s the truth: this is only an issue if you believe it’s an issue. Confidence is contagious, I promise you that.
I remember chasing an account with an amazing, high-end, custom home builder that I wanted to paint for. Took me about 14 months to land the account. I worked my ass off for it, and I was the new guy. They had a guy that they’d been with for 20 years. But my confidence and my energy eventually won them over, and we fuckin’ delivered.
People wanna be around confident people, they wanna be around people with good, high, positive energy. They don’t wanna be around people who are entitled and can get by doing the bare minimum, mediocre service that they’ve been doing for years.
For your new guys out there right now, this is a damn opportunity for you to plant your flag. You have it in you. You can do it. Go get it.
Some clients won’t get over you being the new guy, and that’s fine. But when you’re confident and you bring the right energy, most will.
