One strategy is to influence people by creating an “other.” This strategy involves unifying people by presenting someone else’s ideas as wrong and vastly different than “our ideas.”
“You and I know better”
You can easily do this in business by making your competitors into the “other.”
When taking the “other” approach, it is much less important to explain your ideas or approach, and much more effective to make the “other” seem as different as possible. It’s less about being “like us” and more about “not being like them.”
A different–and I would argue a better–strategy is to show people through hard work, passion, dedication, generosity, and personalized service why no matter what choices exist, that you are the right choice.
It might not work all the time, but to me it seems like a damn fine way to make yourself, and others, feel great about your work.