One of the many challenges facing today’s leaders is to determine what the organization stands for and how to separate themselves from the competition.

What is your defining proposition? Don’t take this the wrong way, but anyone can become a new car dealer and start selling cars. Same old blah, blah, blah. (I didn’t say it was easy.)

Beside price, what do you stand for? Great leaders are able to separate themselves from the competition.

The attached is from Virgin Air. They are different. Very different. Virgin Air’s video for their safety announcements sets them apart from the rest.

Virgin Air is somewhat like Southwest was at one time. What I find interesting about Southwest is they have moved more towards being like all the others as opposed to all the others becoming more like Southwest Air. They have lost their humorous niche.

You may have read or heard the story about the uniqueness of Gunter VW in Cocoanut Creek FL. In 2012 they sold over 4,000 new VWs. They did it by being different. 

It’s not sufficient to say you are known for great service. Everyone has great service. Having great service makes you average. Having great service is expected. You’re not exceeding anyone’s expectations by having great service.

Having free coffee and donuts makes you average. I get a chuckle every time I read a story in Automotive News about someone who now has a café and free whatever.

In the mid 80s we had a deli, a hair cuttery, a shoeshine man, and a tailor shop. Our employee lounge was decorated with characters from Warner Brothers like Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird, Daffy Duck and others. And, we were famous for the Chicken Man. (Now that’s a story for another time.)

At least we were different. How different are you? Are you just another car dealership? Do you even dare to be different? Being different is not easy and requires taking risks. Not being different is boring, risk free and makes you known for nothing. That’s all I’m gonna say, Tommy Gibbs