Before Meeting Jane!

If there is no real difference between you and the competition, people have no reason to work with you and will go off in search of someone else. It really is that simple. In order to get people interested in you and what you have to offer, you’ve got to appeal to them by being somehow a little different than your competitors, and to stand out. This is your opportunity to differentiate.

Whether you offer something of added value, you do it in a different way, deliver it with more aplomb, or whatever it happens to be, if there is no real difference between what you and a competitor offers, you will have to find a way to create something. Doing so is part of what will allow you to connect to people when you are networking. Conducting a little research ahead of time also means that you are able to pre-qualify prospects you will meet at a networking event, and to come up with something that might appeal to them.

When you are able to clearly articulate what you do, and what your differentiation is, and you can do so confidently, and you can demonstrate your integrity and ability, the members of your network will either want to do business with you or refer you to people they know.