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Be the best is what we are told right from our school days. How long can one continue to be the best forever ? The competition is stiff and maintaining the top spot is not easy and then it’s not a necessity that the one on top is actually the best , there are numerous other factors which may propel one to the top spot. The other day I was listening to Jack Ma, the co-founder of Alibaba Group and he said aim to be the first not the best and it did make a lot of sense.
More than being the best what actually matters is being the first to grab an opportunity , being the first to get an idea , being the first to execute that idea . What will make you stand out is being unique , being different. Being first , being unique is what helps in beating the competition. When you are unique you don’t have to bother about others because the products or services they are offering are totally different from yours . You have your own Unique Selling Proposition (USP).
When you are first , you are ahead of the competition. Your uniqueness will always appeal to your target population. By the time others catch up with your idea or try to better it you have already made your mark and on way to diversifying and improving further. It is the first who is always remembered , who is always referred to or quoted. Whole world will know the name of first man or woman who climbed Mount Everest ,but hardly anyone will know the name of the person who was the fastest to climb . Same is the case of new products being launched . The first , sets the trend and the others are compared to it.
Being first doesn’t mean that you try and implement an idea without proper thought . An idea has to be reasonably analysed and then comes in your risk taking ability , your capacity to experiment and the strength to face the failure. Maintain your uniqueness , you may have got an idea from an existing product or product make it your own by infusing your mind into it .Your imprint , uniqueness should be clearly visible.
“Aim to do your best , be the first , be unique,
Doesn’t matter whether you are the best ,
Your uniqueness will carry you through”.
“Make your uniqueness your USP”