🖐 Happy Onsdag!

Issue #61 is a 3.0-minute read.

OMG - Did you see what they’re selling?

At 2:30 am, I had to look.

Of all the foolish reasons to stay awake on a Tuesday night (TikTok videos of mongoose vs. cobra, eat the last fudge cupcake , or fix the Halloween skeletons in the yard), I picked the worst one.

A damn Facebook post.

I couldn’t help myself.

The picture in the post hooked me.

8 kids from a high school band, wearing Led Zeppelin t-shirts, standing in the street and looking for their conductor.

I pounced on that post because the photo showed the kids hanging out on Main Street in MY HOMETOWN 30 years ago.

Here’s the sad news…

90% of the high-end, cool stores in that photo are GONE!

My friends used to call me when those stores had new Salomon skis and Pioneer stereo speakers.

I’d pick up the phone and my buddy would break my eardrum with, “Dude, did you see what they're selling!?”

Today, those vintage stores exist only in a Facebook photo.

Sure. It’s easy to say, “It’s not their fault!”

The big box cowboys at Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, and Lowe’s rode into town, looked down at historic Main Street, and yelled, “We win. Game over.”

I know most 1-2 person business owners think they have no chance against the big name brands on LinkedIn, Instagram, or in your hometown.

If you think it’s game over and you’re lowering your prices to stay in business then I wish you well.

If you’re feisty and wanna take on the big box cowboys let’s walk to the Competition Crossroads.

The Competition Crossroads

When you’re at base camp and you’re ready to start a high-end, 1-2 person business (or elevate your current one), you have to, must, absolutely map your brand vs. your competition’s.

~ There’s a less than 0.003% chance your audience will text their friends with, “Hey, did you see what they’re selling?” unless what you offer is different, unique, special, and HELPFUL!

🎯 4 easy ways to put your brand in the top-tier bullseye!

Stop looking at your own social media channels (for now)

• Turn yourself into a clever voyeur and check out what your competition says, does and shows on social media
  

• Craft a list of where they post, what they say and how they show their products (trust me, this is a must for your brand strategy)
  

• Identify each of your competitor’s brand archetype (the ruler, the sage, the hero) and make sure that yours has the voice and message your brand commands

Buy what your competition sells

• Skip your triple shot, 5-pump pumpkin lattes; take the $89.65 and use it to buy your competition’s products
  

• Use them, tear them apart and see if they kick your butt or fall to pieces; you can’t put your brand in the upper right tier until you know what your competition does well and what it lacks

Test everything your brand offers with real, honest consumers

• Your friends and family do not qualify; instead, gather a group of folks (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook group) who appreciate a high-end brand and let them test drive your offers, landing pages and social media posts
  

• You have to know if your brand’s voice captures the attention of your ideal buyer personas

Pick your ideal brand position at the crossroads and keep your high beams on

• Once you pick your brand position, launch your new identity and keep your eyes on the road; you’re in stage 1 and a high-end brand takes many stages to settle in with an audience
  

• Every three months let ChatGPT diagnose your social media comments and testimonials; you may need to rewrite copy, tweak a product and keep watch on your competition

P.S: Brands take years to build. Put yours on the competition crossroads take action today to get customers telling their friends, “Did you see what they’re selling?!”

📢 On Friday, a subscriber asked for a mention of their home city, Barcelona.

Thanks for sharing this newsletter.

Stay curious and keep opening doors.

-Erik

P.P.S. If you dream of getting to $150K of sales, let’s do it!

When you’re set, here’s your custom, 90-minute consulting session to bring you there. Faster.