Who's Really #1?

Have you ever noticed in advertising and marketing everyone is always touting the fact that they're #1? Every local news station will tell you that they have the most watched news segment and the best news coverage. All the major car manufacturers have commercials that tell tales of some prestigious award that was bestowed upon them for winning first place by some magazine or vehicle rankings company. We have #1 Mom,  #1 Dad, and #1 Grandparent T-shirts, mugs, hats, and accessories yet I know a number of parents and grandparents who's parenting skills are more in line with the bottom of the barrel than the cream of the crop. How do parents determine who's actually #1? If two dads walk in to a room both wearing #1 Dad monikers do they instantly square off to determine who has proper rule?

Every motion picture that graces the big screen tells us they're the #1 movie in theaters by someones measure. I've frequented multiple coffee shops that all tout they have the best tasting coffee in the area. I wonder if they all know that about each other. It's not hard to determine how all of these businesses arrive at the conclusion that they're the pinnacle of their industry. Anytime you see a declaration of dominance you simply have to read the fine print. There is almost always an asterisk accompanying a #1 designation which will tell you that a local coffee shop was voted the best tasting coffee according to a survey of 30 people that regularly purchase their morning mug at that same establishment. Well of course these folks would vote their preferred purveyor of caffeinated beverage as the best! 

We see this a lot in the real estate industry as well. I see advertisements for agents and brokerages all claiming they are #1 but what does that mean? They can't all possibly be the best. What are they the best at and by what measure are they using? Are they the quickest to answer their phones when it rings? Do they have the most listings yet not the most successful closings? Does a brokerage simply have the most agents in their office so by sheer volume they can lay claim to being the busiest in the area? But being busy doesn't mean your clients are being properly represented. I'd rather have 10 customer service focused, knowledgeable, and committed agents than 100 run-of-the-mill, half-hearted, and lackluster agents any day of the week. 

Can we even trust customer reviews and testimonials? There are all sorts of reports and stories of businesses paying individuals to write positive and glowing reviews on their websites about their employees or their company. Any business owner can hand select only agreeable reports of their performance and post these to their social media accounts giving the appearance of superior service. So who is really #1? How do consumers determine exactly which person or business can lay claim to being the best?

 

Does being the best matter to everyone?

Not everyone is swayed by a company who has a big budget for bravado but is poor in performance. There are those individuals who sleep better at night knowing they are doing business with a highly-touted and illustrious company. However, there are also those who don't care about the big-name recognition. It only matters to them what their need is and whether or not a company can fill it. If a lesser known auto-insurance company can give me a better rate and the same coverage as a popular national chain I might choose to use them even though they may not be #1.

Are you #1 where it counts?

It's not good if you are a car company that is #1 in recall orders due to faulty parts or assembly issues. If you are a retail clothing company who is #1 in total returned and refunded items, does that show you are customer service focused, or just carry a bad product that fails to deliver? If you're a real estate agent did you earn the most revenue in your market only to be so busy that you never properly serviced your clients thus leaving them with a bad experience and no referrals given? It's not always a positive to be the best in a category that ultimately is a detriment to you or your business.

 

Marketing gimmicks don't last

Let's say you're the owner of a restaurant in your local neighborhood, however, there are a few other places that always seem to be busier than you. When you ask people about your competitors they always give glowing reviews about how their food, service, and prices are excellent. You come up with a brilliant marketing campaign in an attempt to sway hungry patrons to give your diner a try and it works! You have the busiest month you've ever had on record! But suddenly, after your advertising push ends the customers begin to fade away. What happened? Why was there no staying power? 

You see, the other restaurants were busier and more successful because their product was superior, not because they had a strong advertising budget. Marketing gimmicks may work temporarily but if you don't consistently provide a top quality experience then your business will eventually disappear. Being #1 in any industry is about focusing on your client or customer. 

 

Focus on doing your best not on being the best

The famous line in the movie Field of Dreams is "Build it and they will come". If you put your efforts in to being the best company or entrepreneur you can be then the customers will follow. Is it good to keep an eye out on the competition? I'd argue that it's a vital part of being a business owner. But don't be so single-minded as to let what your rivals do dictate how you run your company. Be the best you can be at what you're the best at doing. Healthy competition is a good thing. However, being overly concerned with how successful someone else appears to be can lead to you losing sight of your own goals and dreams. 

 

Second place still gets a trophy

Pepsi has always played second fiddle to Coke but I don't think anyone would argue that they aren't a prosperous company. McDonald's has out sold their fast food rivals since they were created yet Burger King has still built themselves a wildly profitable empire. Is it necessary to finish in first place to be considered a success? Do you have to be acknowledged by the general public as being #1 in order for you to be happy and fruitful? You still get to stand on the Olympic podium even if you take second or third place which is still an extraordinary achievement. 

 

It is true that some individuals or companies will always feel a need to be recognized as #1 in their industry and there isn't anything inherently wrong with that. However, I would argue that if you're more concerned with being number one and less concerned with staying true to who you are, in the end you may find yourself on the outskirts altogether. 

For information on Real Estate in Gilbert Arizona contact us through our website at zionrealtyaz.com or follow us on Twitter @zionrealty and Facebook at Facebook.com/zionreaty