To read the previous post(s) in this series, start here:
Step 1: Narrow Your Market Focus
In this series, we are exploring essential ways to achieve marketing success. This series is based on the extremely popular Duct Tape Marketing systematic approach to marketing.
Step 2: Communicate Your Difference
One of my favorite exercises I learned from John Jantsch, author of the best marketing blog, was to test your marketing materials for “sameness.” For example, peruse the local paper or go online to a shoe shop. What are often the 3 most popular headlines they claim?
We have the best prices in town.
We have the best quality in town.
We offer the friendliest customer service in town.
You see the problem. If 2 shoe stores in town are offering virtually the same shoes, how’s a customer to choose? What would it mean if Store #2 decided to change their website or ad next week to read:
We offer FREE polish on any men’s dress shoes ANY time you need it!
We are the only shoe store in town to sell the popular FOOTRITE brand of shoes!
We offer 10% discounts to all teachers in the Heelwood ISD!
These distinctions are not random. Go back to Step 1 (Narrow Your Market Focus) and make sure your unique offerings appeal to your target market(s). Another tool of communicating your uniqueness tailored to your target market is to work on your “talking logo.” I’ll let fellow Duct Tape Marketing coach Jeff Paro tell you about this! This takes some work but when you have just a few seconds, this helps you articulate your differences right away.
HOMEWORK? ADVANCED READING ASSIGNMENTS!
For a more thorough discussion of how to beat the competition by differentiating yourself, read what I wrote a few months ago on this very subject. I also looked at other ways in which you can stand out in a crowd by offering a few distinct differences.
NEXT UP – Step 3: Packaging Your Product for the Most Powerful Punch (ok, enough P’s already!)
– Randy Vaughn – Fort Worth’s Only DUCT TAPE MARKETING Authorized Coach
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In order now:
Step 1: Narrow Your Market Focus
Step 2: Communicate Your Difference
Step 3: Packaging Your Product
Another tip for differentiating is to add the HOW. So instead of saying, “We have the best customer service” you might say, “Phone calls will be returned within 30 minutes or you’ll get $30 off your next call.” (a guarantee)
Anther tip is that if you don’t already have a differentiation, you might need to create one. An example I use is Mardi Gras, which is an ingenious way that city promoters were able to get people to New Orleans.
Randy is a creative genius. Call him for ideas!
Good suggestions Adrianne! I was with a client recently and that’s what we did – we looked at the competition and did some comparisons. First of all, they “discovered” that their competition was doing things they weren’t. So they talked about ways of equalizing the game and trying to offer the same thing (take away your opponent’s edge). BUT we didn’t stop there – we look at ways to go above that and create new product offerings or distinguishable services that NO ONE else in town would ever think about doing! This was fun – we asked, “what is the biggest frustration that exists that leads a customer to search for people like you?” Out of that answer (looking for the REAL PAIN of the market), they were able to identify ways to really meet a need that wasn’t being met (although a few naysayers challenged, saying “but no one else has ever done this!”) I think the topic of differentiation is one my favorites to talk with clients about – endless possibilities! Thanks for the kind words.
-Randy