Grant Cardone - If You're Not First, You're Last - Sales Strategies to Dominate Your Market and Beat Your Competition

Although the concept of first or last may sound unfair and difficult to accept for some, in the real world—regardless of your business or career—first place is the only place that matters. It’s a position that allows you to weather all storms, gets you extra attention, and has the competition chasing you—rather than the other way around. But let’s face it: if you didn’t compromise on any point, you would certainly rather the position of first than any other, right? Given the choice between first and any other position, we all know what’s preferable.

Unlike systems or cultures where everyone gets rewarded for just participating and regardless of their efforts, abilities, or even the score—the only position that ultimately makes sense in business—and the one that earns the greatest rewards—is, of course, first. If you aren’t in the dominant position in your market, then you are at risk. When economies are abound with business, the company in first position continues to gain customers and expand its size and presence while the weaker players eke out increasingly smaller gains, helped along solely by the rich nature of the market. However, when these profitable times wane, the dominant company benefits from its first-place position and grabs market share away from all the other contenders while those in every other position pay the price.

Merriam-Webster’s defines the word first as “preceding all others in time, order, or importance.” Being first to the market is not as important as being number one in your category; you don’t necessarily have to be the company introducing a product to be the best choice in the buyer’s mind. Order and importance are much more vital here than time. There is also a big difference between being first and third in Google search results, as evidenced by companies like first-place Intel and second-place Advanced Micro. As of December 2009, Intel had earned $32.7 billion in revenue and had $13 billion in cash, whereas Advanced Micro had $4.92 billion in revenues and $2.5 billion in cash. And consider the competition between Barack Obama and John McCain. Only a few points separated a name that has made history. Again, Barack was not first to the market; he actually came 30 years after his opponent and had much less experience. Yet he managed to win not just the number one spot, but the most powerful position in the world.

So quit compromising and being “reasonable.” Let’s get you fighting—every minute of every day—for the number one spot in your business. You want to be on top when the market is great and take market share when it is not.

Businesspeople, salespeople, managers, entrepreneurs, and CEOs fear economic reductions—and understandably so. They reason (correctly) that when the economy moves into a period of major contraction, clients and customers cut back on projects, reduce spending, and worse, sacrifice quality looking for lowest-priced vendors and/or suppliers. It becomes more difficult to raise capital, close transactions, and make accurate projections that affect planning at all levels. People become filled with uncertainty and doubt that negatively impacts their ability to make decisions. These game-changing economic times can occasionally require major transitions in our skill set as well, particularly following periods of extended expansion. It is common for management teams, sales forces, and employees to be improperly equipped to transition in the game-changing economy.

It’s fairly easy to observe when people’s motivation and skill sets are crippled from extended periods of economic expansion. It’s a lot like a professional fighter who after a series of easy bouts appears to lose his edge, his power—even his sense of the basics. People tend to become dependent on a surplus of opportunities, easy credit, and cheap money and develop an overall unrealistic attitude when the business is good and the wind is at their backs. When the market changes and belts tighten, the forces are no longer at your back but are directly blowing in your face. Every weakness in the organization is greatly magnified when times get tough. Mistakes become more costly, every transaction vital and failure becomes a real possibility for both individuals and companies that aren’t able to transition within the new economy.

At the time I began writing this book, the world was entering one of the greatest economic contractions since the Great Depression. During periods of major game-changing economic shifts, people immediately find themselves scared, confused, overwhelmed, angry, hopeless about what to do, and unsure about whether there is anything they can do. During times like these, people suddenly realize that their businesses, incomes, and futures are at risk. It abruptly seems as though the world is giving each of us a giant wake-up call by screaming, you are vulnerable and may cease to exist !

The truth of the matter is that if you aren’t number one in your category or field, then you are in a precarious and dangerous situation. If you aren’t first, it pretty much doesn’t matter where you are in the race, you will suffer. Times like these show us how hazardous it is to be tied to or dependent upon the economy. Instead, you want to be in such a powerful position among your group that you are able to take advantage of the existing state of affairs.

This book is about how you can advance your professional mission and goals and not just conquer but dominate the competition and the marketplace. Regardless of your product, service, or idea—and despite a challenging economy—you can be first and should always strive to be there. You must acquire a position within your company and/or career in which you are not susceptible to economic pullbacks and start thinking in terms of creating your own financial system. I don’t want you ever to settle for “just getting by” or have to worry about the condition of your finances. I say to hell with the economy! I choose to improve, conquer, and prosper and will do everything possible to be first . This book will show you exactly how to be successful and how to own that powerful position of first. You will learn the exact actions to take in order to advance yourself, your company, and your ideas—and always come out on top.

When economies change from being very optimistic and positive (expanding) to very difficult and negative (contracting), people respond in a variety of ways. These responses are somewhat similar to those we experience when we endure the loss of a loved one. We first engage in denial, then anger, resentment, and (for some) apathy before, finally, recovery. But those who succeed during major economic contractions find these challenges to be inspiring moments that incite new solutions and creativity.

I assure you that the economic situation is not hopeless, and you should not give up, there are exact steps and actions you can take that will guarantee you win! This is a great opportunity for those who really want to “up” their game, attitude, and responsibility levels. My mission in life for the last 25 years has been to help people who want to improve and to succeed in doing so. The most exciting part of my job is working with the exceptional people who strive to be number one and master their market.

This book takes the lessons I’ve learned from these people and through my own trials and tribulations to show you exactly what you will have to do to create success, regardless of what is going on with the economy. It will instruct you on how to expand, surmount, and even exploit these challenges to reach your ideal. You’ll read about simple, doable, and detailed actions to help you and your business thrive, and you’ll learn specifically how to seize market share away from your competitors. You will see exactly what actions you must take on a daily basis to dominate your market and create success so great that no pullback in the economy will negatively impact you. You’ll no longer depend on the economic conditions in which you live and work to dictate your success or failure. You’ll be able take advantage of a weakening economy, seize market share from less profitable competitors, and use the contracting events to create the financial situation you want for yourself, your company, and your family—independent of the local, national, or world economy. There are indeed substantial advantages to periods of economic contraction; once you know how to exploit these opportunities, you will grow while your competitors shrink, submit, and disappear.