Distinction is the difference or contrast between similar things or people – positive qualities that set a business apart from others. The secret to gaining distinction is to influence prospects by being who you are, operating from a foundation based on purpose and working from a position of confidence about what difference you make in people’s lives.

How do you do this?

In their book, The Essential Advantage: How to Win with a Capabilities-Driven Strategy, Paul Leinwand and Ceasre Mainardi maintain, “It’s not enough to simply have good capabilities; every company has them. To sustain success you have to have capabilities that are truly superior, and distinctive enough that others cannot copy them. When you have several such capabilities reinforcing one another, you will be able to both differentiate yourself from and consistently execute better than your competitors.”

Under the TwinEngine Brand Traffic Control system, those things that authentically distinguish a company from its competitors will have greater clarity and alignment to its vision, it’s values and beliefs and its purpose. When a company aligns its operations and activities with its purpose and its authentic personality, it operates from a position of confidence and strength. Your distinct advantage is not just what makes your product or service different, it’s what makes your company different. Identifying your purpose—why you do what you do and what difference that makes to your customers—takes some soul searching to pin down, but it is worth the effort.

Ultimately distinct advantage is where what you offer aligns with the distinct needs of your prospects and customers in a place where your competitors don’t, can’t or won’t. Instead of trying to be all things to all people, your purpose and your distinct advantage help you and your business get “pointy”—more focused on who you are and what you’re in business to do.

Do you know what makes your brand distinct? Take the Brand Traffic Control Assessment and find out.