Creating a Point of Differentiation: The Key to Securing a Competitive Advantage

It was a chance of a lifetime, potential for a dream to come true. A goal he worked on for many years. The opportunity may never present itself again - a chance to try out, and possibly appear on the popular reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter and most importantly win a six figure contract to fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

With a 9-2 amateur and 6-1 professional record, Billy Quarantillo was a highly successful MMA fighter. He knew he was a good fighter with the pedigree to impress and record to prove it. But with over 600 other fighters vying for a spot on the show, he wanted to find a way to differentiate himself and stand out against all the others. As he flew to Las Vegas to attend the tryouts this weighed heavily on his mind.

Billy knew there would be many other equally skilled fighters vying for just 32 spots on the show. But with only 90 seconds to show his wares striking (boxing and kick-boxing), and 90 seconds grappling (wrestle and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu), a total of three minutes didn’t offer him much of a window to exhibit his vast array of skills.

He kept contemplating, how he could stand out? How could he differentiate himself? And most importantly, how could he show the key decision makers - casting agents, and UFC Executives - he had what it took to be on the show and fight in the UFC? Then, eureka – He found his brilliant idea!

Upon discussion with his coach Matt Arroyo, Billy decided to do something completely unique that would enable him to stand out. He knew it would be risky but worth the reward. He decided to differentiate himself by executing his short three minute striking and grappling session in a suit – dress pants, shirt, and jacket!

Striking and grappling in a suit would surely enable him to stand out, but it also carried great risk. What if something went wrong? His pants could rip, or his jacket could restrict him from appropriate movement to execute his skills effectively. Conducting an MMA tryout in a suit was risky indeed, yet a one that paid off in spades.

While all the other fighters came to the event in workout gear, he was the only one who did anything remotely creative like wearing a suit. When it was his turn to show his skills in front to the UFC decision makers, he drew a crowd, and sensed chatter around him. Finally when he heard UFC women’s fighter Juliana Pena yell, “Doing it in style”, Billy felt confident he accomplished his goal of making an impression, and creating his point of differentiation.

As the tryouts came to a conclusion, the cuts began. Billy and about 75 fighters were asked to stay a few additional days for more tryouts, tests, and interviews. As the week progressed, more fighters were released while Billy stayed. By end of the week he was part of the final 50 contestants still remaining.

As the weeks passed Billy was somewhat confident he made the show. He knew his MMA skills were good enough to impress at the time, but there was that worry - did he make a lasting impression? Would the casting agents remember him? Would they think he would make for an interesting character on the show? They sure did!

Billy made the final cut of 32 fighters asked to come back to Las Vegas and appear in Season 22 of The Ultimate Fighter. This was a major step toward his overarching goals. First initiated through many years of hard work, learning and honing MMA skills to make him successful – he had created a good brand. Secondly he solidified himself and his brand by creating a point of differentiation during the initial tryouts. Marketing 101 at its finest!

I love this story for several reasons. First, Billy is my personal Muay Thai coach and friend. He’s smart, and an incredibly hard worker. He is self-motivated, always developing himself by learning new techniques and skills. Simply said, he’s a winner.

Secondly his story focuses on something I constantly tell my clients – Create YOUR Point of Differentiation. I don’t care whether you’re in sales, leadership, a business owner you need to find a point of differentiation. Don’t assume the strength of your brand is sufficient. It will most likely take more to stand out versus competition.

In our cluttered, high tech, low touch world, it is imperative that you, your business, or brand uncover ways to beat competition. Creating that point of differentiation is the key to long-term sustainability, and success of any brand! 

Below are six important points you can learn about brand differentiation from the Billy Quarantillo story:

• Don’t Solely Rely on Strength of Your Brand – In Billy’s case, he didn’t solely rely on the strength of his brand. He had a great record, and excellent skills. Yet he didn’t rest on his laurels, he took control and created a point of differentiation.
• Be Creative– In his situation there weren’t a lot of ways for Billy to differentiate himself, so he had to think out of the box, find a way to stand out. Who else would be crazy enough to wear a suit during an MMA tryout? Being creative takes time, and effort – both of which bring desired results.
• Be Memorable – Billy knew he not only had to capture the attention of the key decision makers in the moment, but had to resonate with them afterwards as well. He wanted to make such an impression that even after he left Las Vegas they’d still be thinking about him. It wasn’t just the initial impression he desired. He needed to resonate beyond. That was important as he came to find out some other fighters did some pretty creative things as well.
• Be Willing to Take a Risk -Billy’s decision carried great risk as it could have hindered his abilities, yet, he saw the upside of that risk. It paid off as it was critical in creating his point of differentiation.
• Know Your Audience – Billy knew his audience. He wanted to make an impression on points those casting agents desired. Yes, they obviously wanted fighters who had superior skills. But they also wanted interesting characters for the show too. Being a reality show they were seeking interesting characters. They had to be thinking, “I’m sure this crazy guy doing MMA in a suit will be great for the show.”
• Know Your Competition – Billy knew his competition would be just as good, maybe even better. He had to both show his skills, and do something unique that the others would not even fathom doing. Others may have been creative but he needed to be more so. This knowledge set the fire in him to ignite his creative juices.

As a final note, Billy did not accomplish his overarching goal of winning the show and securing the six figure contract to fight in the UFC. But he did re-focus, his efforts, and continued his winning ways. So much the UFC gave him the opportunity to try again on July 2nd at their Contender Series Event. Stay tuned to see if he does indeed accomplish his goal.

One thing is for sure though, he set the stage for that goal to be accomplished, and has zero regrets in taking those needed steps…..will YOU?

Steve Gavatorta is a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst (CPBA), Certified Professional Values Analyst (CPVA), Myers‐Briggs Certified Practitioner, and accredited coach and trainer for Emotional Intelligence (EQ). As a consultant, trainer, coach, and speaker, Steve works with large corporations, small businesses, and entrepreneurs, resulting in catalyzed personal development, professional success, for his clients.

More about Steve Gavatorta Group

He is the author of Richter Publishing Amazon Best Seller Award winning, In Defense of Adversity: Turning Our Greatest Challenges into Our Greatest Opportunities. His is also author of The Reach Out Approach: A Communication Process for Initiating, Developing & Leveraging Mutually Rewarding Relationships. Contact Steve at 813‐908‐1343 or [email protected].

In Defense of Adversity