It's a very competitive place in the business world. Whether you are running your own business or trying to get the next promotion in your company, you always have to be on your toes.

Many people ask me, "James, how do I stand out and get ahead in my organization? It's so competitive!" Well, the advice I always give is that you should go beyond the call of duty or responsibility whenever it's possible. When your boss gives you a project, do more than they ask. Be more thorough and look at the project from all angles. Cover areas that will surprise your boss. Simply, do more. If you deliver only the requirements of the project, your boss will see you like everyone else. But if you go beyond their expectations, you will be noticed.

In the last episode of "The Apprentice," we were asked to create a multi-sensory promotional ad that included a brochure and video. I knew that all 3 teams would be creating the exact same items. I kept wrestling with ideas on how we can be different. Then, it became very clear to me. I came up with the idea of creating a 360 degree marketing plan that would take Trump's brand to a higher level in the local and regional markets. We found out that 90% of the condos were sold through brokers, so we wanted a specific way to market to them. I also wanted to use the Trump Towers in Vegas as a way to extend Trump's name/brand in the media. We knew that the other teams would not be creating this extra plan. It took a lot more work to create this plan, but it was well worth it. At 4:20am, we could have easily stopped working after completing the video and brochure, but we spent another 2-3 hours and sacrificed sleep to go the extra mile.

If you read Don Jr.'s blog on Yahoo , he writes about how he was very impressed with the 360 degree marketing plan and presentation. He was impressed because we created something that no one else did. You have to differentiate yourself all the time. It's definitely extra work, but the results always pay off.