Friday, March 6, 2009

Alphas don't follow and they don't stand still

There has always been an unjustifiable admiration of large companies by smaller ones.  Simply because it appears that large companies MUST be smarter (due to their success at getting large), smaller companies fall into the terrible trap of following their example.  

The worst example set by large companies is to stand still in times of crisis.  Right now, large companies are making the worst mistake that can be made during an economic crisis:  they are standing still and holding their breath.  The world is changing around them, and most larger companies are hiding out until they can see what the world looks like after the dust clears.  Any smaller company that follows that example will find itself deep in the ranks of followers and scavengers that populate most product or service categories.

The reason smaller companies so often rise to positions of significant influence following a recession is because they ignore the example of larger companies and CREATE the future that those large companies are waiting to see.  Instead of standing still or hiding out, these few smaller companies create a new definition of what their category is and they create new, higher customer expectations that everyone else has to follow.

This is the time for change, not stagnation.  The answer is in the Alpha model:  driving new, higher customer expectations that make everyone else follow your lead.  Over the past 25 years, I have seen innumerable smaller companies grow dramatically during recessions (and even more afterward) because of their use of the Alpha model.

Stop standing still.  Stop waiting to see what world someone else creates for you.  Create your own new world that you can dominate.


If you don't know what the Alpha model is or how dramatically it differs from the model used by non-Alpha companies, then you need to learn about The Alpha Factor.  This powerful book is a "revolutionary new look at what really creates market dominance and self-sustaining success." You can get your copy at www.thealphafactor.com or through any online bookstore.