Millionaire Marketing Pt. 2: 5 Ways to One Up Your Competitor

No matter what kind of business you're in, keeping a leg up on your competitors is crucial. You have to make sure that you will always be your customer's first option to do business with. Try these five tips to stay ahead of the competition.

• 1. Go Green. Every company who's any company seems to be going green in one aspect or another. Most companies have not turned their entire company green, but they do have some products that are environmental friendly. In order to stay in the game, you may also need to have those 2 or 3 products that are environmental friendly. This shows customers that your company also cares about the well being of Mother Earth.

• 2. Be Free. There is nothing better than a free trial or sample! Customers love to try before they buy, and many of your competitors may not give customers that option. Giving out free samples does cost your company money, so make sure you add these costs into your company's budget. Speaking of budget --

• 3. Break the Budget. One mistake companies make is that they spend lots of money on operations, and not enough money on the customer. Your products and samples are made especially for your customers, so don't be afraid to spend how much is necessary to create a quality product.

• 4. Jump on the Bandwagon. New trends are forming all the time, and it's your job to find out about these new trends before your competitors do. Even if your competitors are already aware of the trend, it's still your responsibility to get out there and do it as well. Just make sure you put your own spin on it to make it uniquely yours.

• 5. Never Bash Your Competitors. This may be a hard one, but never bash your competitors in front of your customers. If you are offering something better, convince your customer of that without being mean about the competitor. You don't want to be viewed as over competitive by your customers. Your customers should view your company as a friendly one, not a bitter one.

The idea here is to not let your competitors provide any product or service that you don't or can't provide. You are to give your customers as many options as you can give them, without sliding away from your company's original branding. There will be some things that your competitors do that you may not want to do because it goes against what your company represents. But for the most part, if there is anything that you can add to your list of products or services that doesn't ruin your company name, go for it.