I hear all the time that there are "too many consultants," and the profession is "more competitive than ever." And I always respond, "What's your point?"

Burger King builds its restaurants across the street from McDonald's because Burger King knows, absolutely and unqualifyingly, that people are showing up there to buy hamburgers. Healthy competition expands markets, and is a wonderful dynamic to behold.

If you want to stand out in competitive markets, you can do a lot worse than follow the precepts of Emily Woods, CEO of J. Crew, the highly successful clothing operation. She was interviewed in The Wall Street Journal last November, and I'm going to elaborate on some of her precepts as I think they pertain to consultants. The initial, boldfaced sentence is hers, and a cause of her great success. The remainder of each paragraph is mine, as I believe the point relates to what we do in our profession.

1. Solve problems better and faster. I went to value pricing as my strategy when I began my practice to show clients that I can help them without a meter running, with a fixed investment cap, and with the confidence that their people could ask for my help without having to request budgetary approval. Clients, accustomed to hourly billing, thought this met their needs better and faster and never argued with the principle.

2. Don't get carried away by the success of one venture or service. Success is never final, and often is situational. Find the cause of the success, and emulate that. It's far better to know that you were chosen because you took the pains to interview all of key management rather than think your training program is perfect and shouldn't be tampered with.

3. Don't shun the classics, reinvent them. There is nothing new under the sun. Don't think you have a novel way of doing anything. The key is to adapt tried-and-true principles to contemporary business needs within the current social, economic, and technological contexts. Communication needs remain constant, for example, but e-mail has changed the pace and nature. Customer relationships are always key, but today's customers are better educated and more diverse than ever.

4. Surround yourself with people you trust. Invest heavily in top talent in the legal, finance, and design areas. Use advisers, mentors, and confidants who are fabulously successful and empathic. Don't take on clients you don't like, don't respect, and/or don't believe in. If you subcontract or hire staff, don't rely on lengthy contracts and written agreements. If your gut feeling isn't right, then don't enter the relationship. Chemistry is more important than contracts.

5. Stay current. This business is about intellectual breadth. Consultants don't read enough, experience enough, or experiment enough. I'm still seeing consultants use social-style methodology from 30 years ago as if they invented it, while others rely on a variety of personality assessment systems that have never been validated and aren't even contemporary. We have to stay at the leading edge, not get dragged over it.

Be happy that the marketplace is so competitive, because it means there is a great need for and belief in external consultants. In fact, contribute to the industry through professional trade associations, literature, and events as much as possible - this strengthens us all. But while you're participating, develop ways to stand out in the crowd.

Bear one thing in mind: If you're going to take pains to stand out in a crowd, then make absolutely sure you look good while you're standing there.