You Have a HUGE Competitive Advantage Over Retail!

As much as I hate the idea (yes, I know hate is a strong word) of people losing their jobs within the offline world, and companies going out of business, I also think that we are living in a world where people are unwilling to work at the same level as my generation, and certainly the generation before me used to work.

The fact that you are here at WA and reading this, means that you are an exception and you are naturally going to be built to be within the top 5% of people, and can create success online as such.

Before I get into my reasoning that you have a true competitive advantage, I want to share a little story with you. This is an experience that I had when shopping yesterday, but it is an experience that I find has become the norm versus the exception.

My Story About a Poor Retail Experience.

Yesterday I went to Canadian Tire, a big retail chain here in Canada which is far more than a tire store. It is more like a department store, meets a Home Depot. They have lots of tools, they sell bikes, camping gear, toys, household items, outdoor furniture, plants, gardening tools/equipment. They are basically a catch all, and actually offer a really great experience.

Well, almost really great. It is great until you have to ask for help to find something.

I was in there yesterday looking for a "submersible pump'.

These are pumps that you use to pump water out of areas. I have some water on top of my swimming pool cover that I was looking to pump out, as my other submersible pumps that I had had met their lifespan (IE, they were dead lol).

I had no idea where to find such a thing, so I asked an associate in the store where to find a submersible pump. First, they had no idea what I was talking about and they took my back to the bike pump section. Then, I told them that wasn't it, and I told them what it was for and they took me to the pool section. Facepalm.

They radioed to another associate, and they indicated that these should be within aisle 5 of the store. So that is where I went, only to find winches and other various tools for trucks.

So... I went to find another associate. This time, the associate told me to go to seasonal as they might be there. So I did. Nothing. Then I went to another completely different associate, and they said they didn't think they carried them. At this point I pulled out my phone, and went to Canadian Tire's website, to see for myself. When they noticed I did this, they said "let me check our computers and see if we carry such a thing". In the meantime I showed them they do in fact carry them.

He then indicated that they were in aisle 29, I went there, and there were 6 different versions of submersible pumps. It certainly was not an obscure "one off" item in their store, rather there was a section of them. I mentioned that they might want to learn what they have available in their store (in a "kind" way obviously) and then moved on and purchased my $179.00 pump.

I put off going to the store for several days because I didn't have time. I not only wasted my time driving to the store, but I also wasted 30 minutes while there, and ultimately had a frustrating experience. I wasn't able to accrue any knowledge at all about any of the pumps, which one was the best for my situation and why, and which one had the best spec/warranty/lifespan.

Instead, I was in a situation where I knew much more about the product than the sales associate. In fact all 3 of them that I spoke with didn't know what a submersible pump was, or that it existed in their store.

This leads me to YOUR competitive advantage and your ability to help customers, like they are not getting help elsewhere.

Your Competitive Advantage Online is Glaring.

When I tell people that they can become an expert at anything, they are baffled. If someone came to me and said they know nothing about submersible pumps, but wanted to make that their niche and become and expert within a few weeks, I would say "go for it!".

Why?
Because I know what you are competing with, and I know that you can actually become an expert in the matter of a few weeks time on such a topic. In fact, in my little research I did online I know that I am 100x more equipped to make a recommendation for a pump, than someone working at Canadian Tire or any big box store for that matter.

You are equivalent to a boutique store, but within the online world. Boutiques typically have innate product knowledge and expertise, but it usually comes at a cost as the products are higher priced (because their sales volume is lower).

But the problem is it is harder for these stores to find qualified workers, most boutique stores even lack product knowledge and the employees lack interest in the products/services...they are just there to collect a check. Well those checks are going to continue to disappear as big box stores close down, and people lose their jobs.

And as people like YOU, are building out sites with expertise, that are helpful, that help people make qualified purchasing decisions, and that offer direct and timely support.

And people can shop from the comfort of their homes, no driving, no gas money, no time, and they are going to be able to choose from, in my case, 100's of different options of submersible pumps and get the very best price. Shipping is usually only a few days for ANY product as well, so unless it is urgent, buying online is the way to go.

That is the reality.

Whether you want to become a chocolate expert. Whether you want to be a cat expert. Whether you want to be an expert selling fridges, or wooden toys for babies, or beer coolers, or ANYTHING. You can become the expert, and outshine the offline world be a significant exponent.

The lunch is there to be eaten, retail is dying and companies are going bankrupt for a reason. The online world is continuing to take over and affiliate marketers and online authority. There has never been an opportunity like this.

More retail stores are closing. More online businesses are thriving. More and more people are shifting the majority of their spending online. And the opportunity to build a business online and to be a thriving affiliate marketers has never been so vast!

Have you noticed the same sort of experience as I had? People that are getting paid minimum wage don't have the inclination to help, or become an expert at their craft and this poses the core problem within retail these days. The online experience is a much more informed one, one where you are getting much more in depth and useful product/knowledge, and where you can go to learn how to solve your problems.

I would love to hear about your experiences within the online world in terms of expertise and quality, versus your experience within the online world.