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# Kelford Labs Daily: Beholding value
- URL: https://kelfordinc.com/kelford-labs-daily-beholding-value/
- Published: 2024-04-05T10:27:40.000Z
- Updated: 2026-01-27T15:24:30.000Z
- Description: Forget the competition, focus on the customer.
- Author: Joel Kelly
- Tags: Daily Labs, value, demo, focus, specific, tradeoff, different, books

> “The only way to beat the competition is to stop *trying* to beat the competition.”  
>  
> — Kim & Mauborgne, Blue Ocean Strategy

When we set our sights on beating our competition, we take our eyes off the customer.

**And we start believing we know better than, not just our competitors, but our customers, too.**

Personally, I like to acknowledge that the customer isn’t *wrong* for choosing a different business. In fact, they were *right*, because that means I didn’t do enough to demonstrate my value and credibility.

If you think about it this way, you can stop looking to your competitors and instead you can focus on your customers.

**And in words, images, or deeds, you can *demonstrate* your value by being** [**specific, clear, and focused**](https://kelfordinc.com/kelford-labs-weekly-specific-clear-and-focused-value/) **in your marketing.** 

A *specific* type of customer—so they know you get their context and constraints.

A *clear* challenge—so they know you have experience with their precise problem.

A *focused* message—so they know you’ve made choices and tradeoffs to be the perfect solution for them.

Value, they say, is in the eye of the beholder.

**So, let them behold it.**

By demonstrating it.

📫

Feedback? Email labs@kelfordinc.com