KILL THE COMPETITION

Being a book hound, a stroll down Charing Cross Road is a must when in London. There are book shops everywhere, including one of the major retailers you’d recognize, lots of second-hand shops, and a few with real antiquities in them.

I noticed one shop across the road sporting a newer sign with “Murder One” in big red letters on a white background. Crossing over to the shop, I go inside to find shelves filled with only crime (fiction and non-fiction) and romance fiction books. Hardback, soft cover, paperback, magazines, special editions, signed editions, rare editions, you name it...if it is crime or romance, they have it. And that’s ALL they have.

Posted prominently on the window are excerpts from several different publications (tour guides, local entertainment resources, etc.) touting Murder One as the one place to go for crime and romance books in London, and it is easy to see why. I heard the door open about once a minute during the time I was inside. They have a thriving business in a tiny space.

This is the strategic advantage of specialization. Focus on just one amazing product or exceptional service and you can become known as “the one place to go for (fill in the blank)!”

Instead of trying to be all things to all people, start being the one place to go for the one thing you do well. Do it better than anyone else and you will soon have all the business you can handle.

Adopt the Murder One philosophy and kill the competition.