When Competition Steals Your Clients
Expect the Unexpected to Save Your Business
The existence of competition is a sign there’s interest in what you plan to offer.
Because of it, you make an effort to add that special something that helps you stand out -giving clients reason to choose you, every single time.
But what if, in spite of all your effort - competition still snatches your clients away??
I recently met a lady who was in my orbit during high-school.
She owns a yoga studio in a small town now.
She told me: “I saw an opportunity to fill a market gap, there is no competition, my offer is unique.
I knew she was good at teaching yoga, but what did she mean by “there is no competition”?
HOT TAKE - There’s always competition. She just had no idea who she was competing against.
From the very beginning, interest in her classes was enormous!
It was a new experience everyone wanted to try.
She was fully booked for 6 months!
Then came the competition!
And not the kind you would expect.
Her competition was WINTER!! Yes, winter!!
A season itself came and stole her attendees!
People opted for cozy warm couches and Netflix over yoga mats. She was in shock! From fully booked to half empty?! In just six months?
So what can you do when faced with this kind of competition? Nothing really, but….
You can’t expect someone to change their lifestyle to support yours.
Netflix and pizza will always be the main competition to any form of training. Because it’s easier and most people choose comfort over effort.
Botox will always be the main competitor to face yoga because it’s easier.
Ozempic will be the main competitor to healthy food choices because it’s easier.
People tend to choose the easier path.
Comfort over effort. Always!
Of course, we also want to meet people where they are - honor their choices, even when they differ from ours. That respect for the journey can make the solution you offer feel even more welcoming.
But can you work around this?
Yes and no.
No - you can’t change people’s habits. Everyone is free to make their own choices, good or bad.
Yes - you can adapt your offers so the barrier to entry is lower.
Maybe that means adding online yoga classes so they don’t have to leave the house.
Sometimes, the wisdom lies, not in forcing change, but in observing patterns carefully and choosing the strategy that aligns with reality. Understanding why people make the choices they do gives you a smarter edge.
Businesses often fail within the first year because entrepreneurs rely on one offer for too long.
They skip planning ahead.
They think one offer can be the spine of entire business.
But it’s easier - and faster - to sell something new to someone who already trusts you, than to win a brand-new client from scratch.
If you plan second offer early, you could reach higher inflow with the same number of clients.
One client. Two offers. Two sales.
Instead - you have one offer - so your clients go searching for upgrade elswhere - because you failed to create it in time.
My friend, the yoga teacher, nearly gave up on her dream because of this.
Not because someone opened another studio nearby.
But because she had no supportive plan to create new offers with ease.
There were just too many questions and a lack of a supportive plan to help her figure it out - the final nail in the coffin. No additional offers were created that winter.
She was an expert in yoga - but not in business strategy.
She lost energy, time and confidence trying to figure it out, so creating another offer felt like a heavy burden.
If you need one too - a strategy with real examples - how to create new offers and upgrade your business quickly - stay tuned.
We’re diving into them in our upcoming newsletters.