What are the five signs that you’re a disrupter in your sector?
First of all, why would you want to be a disrupter in your industry or sector? Well, it’s the disrupters that grab market share, grab the best talent and create entirely new ways of working that set them apart from the crowd. Do you know the five signs of being a disruptor?
Does this lead to profit?
Not always, but it does lead to investment and eventually profits.
Who is a disrupter today?
The obvious choices are Air B&B, Uber and Starling Bank. These are big names and have grabbed market share from right under the noses of more traditional businesses in the same sector.
We can’t all be an Uber though.
Let’s look at how you can disrupt your industry or sector and use that to build a much stronger, more valuable business.
Sign One, that you’re a disrupter in your sector
You have a powerful, clearly identifiable business culture which is in the form of a Purpose, Vision and Values.
Not only have you stated the Purpose, Vision and Values of your business, but you’re using these things to make decisions, hire people, find customers and clients and choose suppliers.
You’ve embedded this culture into your business like DNA. It appears in everything you do and say.
Sign Two, that you’re a disrupter in your sector
You know the difference between building revenues and building value.
Most business owners chase sales. They chase sales from anyone and everyone and this keeps them in the thick of the pack.
The disrupters know exactly how to build value into their businesses by developing their senior teams, their culture and investing in innovation, joint ventures, collaborations and their brand.
This is all systemised and leads to a very scalable business.
Sign Three, that you’re a disrupter in your industry or sector
You’ve got an awesome team all doing what they’re supposed to be doing in the right way.
Owners of disrupter businesses recruit great people. Tell them what they want and then leave them to get on with it.
They’re there for support and guidance when needed. But essentially the disrupter business owner steps back from the day to day as much as possible. They continue to be the visionary of the business.
They’re good at strategy and leave others to implement those strategies.
If you’ve got too many fingers in too many pies in your business, you don’t have time to disrupt. You’re too busy changing the light bulbs!
Sign Four, that you’re a disrupter in your sector or industry
The disrupter company has a great sales cycle which includes its culture at the start. So it sells from its purpose, vision and values. They’re targeting customers and clients who believe what they believe.
They also understand whether they’re selling a product or a service and deliver value accordingly.
Disruptors absolutely know who they serve and why they serve them. They position themselves in the marketplace in a space that very few competitors occupy.
Their sales process is smooth and its easy to buy from them.
Plus, their operations are smooth and customers and clients feel loved all along the sales cycle.
Finally, a disrupter business will nurture and care for their customers and clients even when they’re not buying.
Sign Five, that you’ve shaken up your sector or industry
You’ve planned your exit. You may not be selling your business anytime soon, but disrupters build their businesses as though they were going to sell them.
This means they’re constantly thinking about how easy it is to take over the running of their business without the founder in place.
That’s right, disrupter business owners seek to do themselves out of a job!
You don’t lose your job, don’t worry! You end up doing more of the things you love. Like creating new businesses to disrupt other markets. Or growing your original business into a global empire!
