My daughter loves to sing and dance around our house. She turns on the charm when she knows she has an audience, and enjoys watching people react to whatever she does. She stands out of the crowd simply by bringing joy into people’s lives. While some of us crave the spotlight more than others, I do think that we should try to stand out, and we can do this without being boastful and without bragging.

Why should we stand out?

Quite simply, this gives us a competitive advantage. If we can’t differentiate ourselves from our nonprofit or business competitors, why would someone want to acquire our services or give us money to operate our organizations?

How should we stand out?

You obviously want to stand out because of something positive you accomplished or a benefit to your clients or constituents. We hear so much negative news, that we forget all of the wonderful ways that we positively impact our communities. There is no need to spend money on a marketing tactic that won’t lead to long-term growth or a viral sensation that will fizzle out. Think about how your approach feeds into your strategic or business plans and priorities.

What tools can I use to showcase my competitive advantage?

• Update your website to highlight your accomplishments and achievements
• Use social media to share upcoming trainings, case studies or key wins with others
• Reinforce your brand through colors, taglines and captivating verbiage
• Create a compelling fact sheet or capabilities statement that uses infographics and statistics
• Maintain and update testimonials and success stories
• Understand your competitors and how you do things differently and more effectively

While we can’t all be like my daughter, I do hope we can find a way to stands out that are unique to our work, promote quality and inspire others.