How To Maintain a Leading Position in the Market

I was meant to write something different today, but checking the site statistics I noticed two strings that targeted at this blog: “how to do great marketing” and “maintaining a leading position in the market”. Today I’m going to focus on the latter, leaving the former for Thursday.

I'll answer this question with a story.

I am a rather old-fashioned guy: I write with a fountain pen and shave with a straight razor. I love that tool: what used to be an awful routine has turned into a great ritual. I had to learn how to tilt the blade, strop but most of all how to hone a dulled blade on a sharpening stone. I have learned the different properties of stones and when it’s best to use one or another. I like this so much I wrote a post on my personal blog. I did it with all my passion, with the genuine intent to share something I really liked. I knew that could cause some hilarity, it’s strange to think of a less-then-40 guy using an old-fashioned thing in the age of Fusion or Mac3. Last but not least, the post was in Italian, thus meant for a very restricted audience: male, 30 up, open-minded. It all happened in November 2007.

First comment came from a friend, then the big chill. Sometimes a rare visitor dropped by but mostly the post stayed almost totally unnoticed.

Then something happened. June 2008: someone asked a very specific question. I read, sat down and typed. I was really happy someone showed a genuine interest in my passion. Before I could even think about it, the answer was posted. Ever since that, comments flew like a rolling river. As I’m writing, they reached 1,466! But there’s more: people keep sending their razors, asking me to hone them. Some call me at home and ask for advice before buying one, others even want to buy mine. Comments are so many, spreaded all over the page that I opened a new blog only for that. A guy who posted opened his own forum featuring hundreds of subscribers. What seemed like a dead habit has turned into something people of all ages practice and love to share. That post created a community, and is still quoted as one of the most interesting about it.

I put all my passion and my energy into that. I always answer all the comments and questions, invite people over to show them how to hone, talk to them on the phone. They trust me, they see, hear and feel sincerity in what I do. They help me maintaining the site offering me money for honing their blades. Honing is an interesting metaphor: it really takes a minute to turn a great edge into an overhoned blade, and once you do you have to correct and fine-tuning. Honing is a task that requires precision, confidence and above all pay attention to every single feedback the edge gives.

So, what does it take to maintain a leading position in the market? Your passion, your commitment, your sincere happiness and confidence. People feel all of this, and brilliantly reward you. And it’s not tiring at all; actually, the more you do it, the happier you are.

What do you think it takes to maintain a leading position in the market? Share your thoughts…