Small Business Branding: How important a core difference is essential to marketing success.

Marketing behaviorQuite often a small business owner will ask me to reveal the most powerful marketing strategy I have seen. The answer may surprise you.

The most powerful marketing strategy I know has little to do with direct mail, adverting, special promotions, websites or referrals. No, before any of those ‘tactics’ will have any major impact on your business you must first find, commit and communicate a compelling difference between you and everyone else that says they do the same thing as you.

Let’s do a quick mental exercise.

Pretend that you are in a room full of your competitors and I asked this question. “If you think you offer a fair price, please raise your hands”. “Now, lower your hands if you don’t offer great customer service.” “Lower your hands if you don’t feel you are an expert and can deliver valuable advice” How many hands do you think would be up? Almost all right? So, if you don’t do an effective job at “educating” you customers on how specifically you are different, guess what the deciding factor is? PRICE!!!! Who wants to compete on price?

Look, we all know that every business is special and unique in its own way. But the bigger question is does your potential clients know? You have to answer the following question “why should I choose you?” from the customer perspective. There are several ways you can establish a unique selling proposition. Here are a few:

* Unique service
* Market niche
* Special offer
* Solve a specific problem

Once you have spent some time and discovered your uniqueness, you must commit to it. These core differences will become the foundation for all of your marketing material and advertising messages. You will use these unique differences to create your marketing materials that educate.

Differentiate or Die: Standing Out In A Crowd [Small Business Branding]

• 1 Comments

  

Comments

Steven-Great post. I love companies that complain about their salesmen always asking to lower the price. Granted, most salesmen will sacrifice a point or two of profit for the sale. At the same time most good salesmen look to differentiate themselves and win the order! If they don't you hired the wrong guy.

I find the best place to start is to ask your customers. Go to someone who loves your company. Ask them the top 5 reasons they come to you every time. You will quickly find why they love you. This is your current USP.

Now ask your customers what they need. Again, you will quickly find areas you can improve your product or service. Here is where you find needs you can fill. With some tweaking you can fine tune you USP to fit the customer base. This will blow away your competition.

Or you can just lower your price to get the next order...

 Posted by: B Smith @ Wealth and Wisdom at June 6, 2008 3:40 PM

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