Think of the fishbowl as your market and the other fish as your competition. Awfully crowded, isn't it? And all the fish look pretty much the same. How can a prospect pick one? What criteria could they use to decide how or why one fish is "better" than another?

The point is that they can't - or at the least, it's very difficult.

Now imagine for a moment; what if you were in a fishbowl all by yourself, with no other fish to fight with? Nice, isn’t it? Kind oflike having no competitors, because your prospective customers know you’re the only one that can satisfy their needs.

Let’s talk about what it means to have no competition. First, we'll talk about positioning. One of the best definitions we’ve found comes from GoBigNetwork.com.

Competitive Positioning is about how a company positions itself relative to its competitors in the minds of customers. Companies need to position themselves effectively to address the question: How is your product or service demonstrably more appealing than those of your competitors?

Positioning is about owning a position in the hearts and minds of your prospects, customers, employees and stakeholders. If someone does not recognize you as different, then you’re in the same position as your competitors – in one fishbowl, fighting with all the other fish.

Now, in a general sense, you’ll still have competitors. However, the goal is to compete on some attribute or trait that no else can offer – to change the rules of competition in your target market so you can make it easier for your prospects to choose you. Thus, you have to truly narrow your target market, understand them as much as you can and then create the “X-Factor” that is compelling to that group.

The objective of positioning is to be able to own that space – to compete on something your target market finds compelling, that only you can offer. Then, you’ll be in your own fishbowl too.