Becoming a Category of One : How Extraordinary Companies Transcend Commodity and Defy Comparison

A revised and updated edition of the bestselling "no-nonsense guide to beating the competition."--Publisher's Weekly Becoming a Category of One reveals how extraordinary companies do what they do so well and gives you the tools and ideas to help your business emulate their success. Packed with real case studies and personal reflections from successful business leaders, it helps you apply the best practices of the best companies to set yourself apart from your competitors and turn your business into a market leader. Whether you run a multinational corporation or a two-person start-up company, the lessons you'll find here apply to any business. This Second Edition includes a new chapter on "tie breakers," updated examples of today's category of one companies, and special contributions from business experts, bestselling authors, and CEOs on the future category of one business. Revised and updated to remain relevant to today's market conditions and new innovations A new edition of the bestselling title from the author of Indispensable and Work Like You're Showing Off Today's struggling economy puts even greater importance on the theory and practice of business differentiation This edition includes 20 percent new material; if you liked the original edition, you'll love this new Second Edition Reliable, proven advice that works for businesses of any size in any industry Now more than ever, you have to differentiate your business from the competition to succeed. Becoming a Category of One gives you the blueprint for building your own extraordinary business Renowned consultant Joe Calloway has made a career out of helping businesses create competitive advantage through unsurpassed customer service. He knows from experience what separates ordinary companies from companies that dominate the competition. In Becoming a Category of One, he shares the proven business lessons he learned by watching great companies get ahead of the pack and stay there. Ordinary companies compete in their categories, or even lead them. Extraordinary companies create their own categories by doing what no one else does -- in effect, becoming a Category of One. Here's how they do it: they get to know the customer better than anyone else in the business and connect with that customer better than anyone else can. They transcend commodity by offering more than just a product. They defy comparison by doing what their competitors can't or won't do. Becoming a Category of One shows you how these companies do what they do so well, and gives you the tools and ideas you need to emulate them. Full of case studies and personal reflections by leaders of Category of One companies, this book is designed to help anyone transform their run-of-the-mill business into an extraordinary company -- whether you operate a multinational corporation or a mom-and-pop shop.

Calloway doesn't offer any mumbo-jumbo or flavor-of-the-day buzzwords, just simple lessons that lead to real, proven results. With his guidance, you'll learn what makes some of the best companies on earth so successful -- and then learn to apply their winning strategies to your own business. You'll learn what makes Tractor Supply Company different from any other retail chain and why LensCrafters is the only household name in eyeglasses. If your company is treading water or losing customers, you have a difficult choice to make. You can hold on to the ideas and techniques that got you this far and hope they work again, or you can find a new way to give customers what they can't get anywhere else. If innovation frightens you, then put this book down now. If you're ready to take your business to a new level, then read on ...

We just decided to go -- The power of a cause -- Success means you know what used to work -- The commodity trap -- Your brand is everything -- The three rules -- The new customer reality -- Tiebreakers -- The heart of a category of one performer -- The future of category of one