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Business Success Center
As you begin developing your
marketing strategies, ask yourself "Why should a customer
or client come to you instead of your competition? What makes
you different?" Were your first answers similar to any
of the following: We provide great service...We are reliable....Nobody
else can do it like we can.…We've got a great product....We
really care about our customers!
Unfortunately, while that may be true, it is essential to know that you are
not alone in thinking this is what makes you special. In fact, this is probably
exactly what your competition is saying. Every company proclaims to have a
customer friendly orientation, a superior product, and/or superior ability.
Think about it. Have you ever gone into a business that said, we have really
poor customer service, everybody can do what we do, and we really don't care
about our customers/clients!!
The fact is that in today's world, you have to become competitor-oriented.
Yes, that's competitor oriented. In Al Ries and Jack Trout’s book, Marketing
Warfare, they point out that even if you have a better product and better service,
if there is a perceived advantage to using your competition, that's where the
money will land. "The battle takes place in the mind. There are no facts
in the human mind only perceptions. The perception is reality." Businesses
need to learn what their competition is doing and saying and determine what
sets them apart if they want to emerge victorious.
Often newer businesses are searching for the golden ticket that will allow
them to achieve their success. They ride the waves of the market, trying new
products and new ways to generate income. They're searching for that ship to
come in and have great hope that at least one of their ideas will be "the
one." They fail to see and/or communicate the uniqueness that is often
already present in their own business that could put them on top. This can
result in years of wasted time and money.
Even established businesses often fail to establish a competitive differential,
slowing their growth and endangering their future. They rely on their good
reputation and are confident that future success will continue as it has in
the past. What they need to be aware of is that the competition is watching
and new competition is waiting in the wings. It is just as important for these
companies to communicate what makes them unique, and use their position of
strength.
The concept of developing a differential often scares business owners. They
think it means completely changing what they do or what they offer. But the
fact is that most companies already possess many things that do indeed make
them stand out from their competition, but they fail to communicate this to
their market. All messages, from print ads to verbal networking messages should
clearly communicate what makes you special. Arm your market with the knowledge
that selecting you is the logical choice.
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