In today’s crowded marketplace, technical skill and professional expertise have become table stakes - the minimum entry requirements just to play the game. What truly sets successful businesses apart isn’t simply being good at what they do, but rather the unique personal elements that make clients choose them over equally talented competitors.
Your talent is now a hygiene factor. To be excellent at what you do is the minimum requirement, not a value add. There are hundreds, if not thousands of people who excel at what you do.
Excellence won’t make you stand out in a sea of excellence.
What will, is what makes you unique.
You.
Your personality - the way you light up a room, the way you recount an anecdote. The things that are intrinsically you, the qualities you can’t learn from a textbook or in the classroom.
In business today, credentials and capabilities have become commoditised. Potential clients can find dozens of qualified professionals with impressive portfolios and glowing testimonials. The hard truth? Your MBA, your certifications & qualifications, and your years of experience aren’t special anymore - they’re expected.
This doesn’t mean skills don’t matter. Rather, they’re just the starting point. Think of your qualifications and experience as the foundation of your business house.
Necessary? Absolutely. But nobody chooses a home based solely on its foundation.
People connect with people, not your CV. Your clients don’t just buy what you do; they buy who you are. That quirky sense of humour, your straightforward communication style, or your particular way of solving problems - these human elements create connections that go way beyond the buyer/supplier relationship.
Consider how you’d choose between three equally qualified dentists, accountants, or web designers. All have similar pricing, comparable experience, and solid reviews. What tips the scale? Often, it’s the personal chemistry, the feeling of being understood, or simply enjoying the interaction.
Savvy business owners leverage their unique traits deliberately. They don’t hide behind the company profile or generic corporate speak. Instead, they amplify what makes them different. They tell personal stories in their marketing, bring their authentic selves to client meetings, and build brands that reflect their genuine personalities.
Your competitors can copy your services, match your prices, and even imitate your business model. But they can never replicate you. In a world of professional sameness, your humanity becomes your greatest competitive advantage.
The question isn’t whether you’re good enough. It’s whether you’re distinctive enough to be memorable.
