Positioning Your Business
Where do you fit in the market? Why should someone choose your business vs. the competition? What do you do better than everyone else? These are THE most important questions you need to answer to successfully market your business.
I’ve got news for you … even if your “just another” shoe store or “just another” yoga instructor or “just another” custom baker … you have something you do better than every other business that makes your business unique! We call this your “differentiator” or “unique selling point” and it’s the basis for all marketing activities. Not sure what yours is? It’s time to do some digging, internally and externally, to find out what that is and shout it from the rooftop!
We start with finding different aspects that your potential customers might judge your business and the competition on like:
quality
price
customer service
shipping
expertise
Then we take evaluate your business, your competitors, and your model/ideal company based on those points. You can do this yourself for some discovery just be warned that taking an objective look at your own business can be a little tough … we’re guilty of that too! Once these points are analyzed and compared, you’ll be able to see what makes you different and unique.
WARNING: don’t just assume that your differentiator or unique selling point is truly unique. Too many times we’ve started into the research and had to break the bad news that the competition was also doing what “nobody else does like ABC business”!
Once you have a solid differentiator, put it out there (in a smart way) and watch the customers come to you without having to do any convincing.
Final note: don’t be afraid to say what you do better than everyone else. It isn’t cocky, it’s just having a better understanding of your business. Just remember to frame it as something you do the best, in a different way, or that has unique benefits. If you do say “we do this WAY better than XYZ Company” then you are being cocky and nobody likes a jerk!
Did we just rant about research again? Get used to it. It’s important.
