Too Much Competition? Beat it with Brain Science
“There’s too much competition.” You hear that from people in just about every field.
It’s discouraging, to the point where you might wonder if there’s any point in trying to market your business, or even be in business.
But you can beat that competition with brain science, using the same mechanism that’s currently driving you crazy.
There’s something in your brain called the reticular activating system (RAS). It’s a bundle of nerves at the brainstem that filters out unnecessary information so important details get through, and so your brain doesn’t become so overloaded you can’t function.
It’s also why you’re so aware of businesses like your own, and why it seems like there’s an extraordinary number of people chasing the same customers as you are.
It might be frustrating, but it’s completely normal. You’ll notice the same phenomenon if you adopt a border collie—you’ll suddenly see them everywhere.
Your brain has set up a filter, and it might be misleading you just a little.
A successful business depends on a bunch of things. One of them is a healthy number of customers. Another is healthy competition.
It might seem counterintuitive, but if there’s no competition, there’s no market. There’s no market because there’s no demand.
A market can become oversaturated, but you can’t reach a conclusion about where you fit without studying the situation carefully. Just because there are lots of web designers, for example, doesn’t mean there are too many for you to carve out a space in the field. Do they all cater to the same client base? Do they all offer the same services? Do they all have the same style? Nope.
Don’t blame yourself for having the competition jitters. It’s too easy to go there. You feel vulnerable and your brain has pulled a nasty stunt, without intending to.
There’s a way to flip the situation, using your handy dandy reticular activating system. Your filters are set to identify businesses like yours, and guess what: your customers have their filters set the same way.
Your customers aren’t just looking for your competition. They’re looking for you, too. So be visible. Tell the world what you do and why you do it. Send the right cues to the customers you most want to work with.
Focus on your customer instead of the competition. Share your passion for your work and your commitment to your audience.