In reality, we all look the same. How can you expect your prospective customers to pick you when they see no obvious difference between you and your competitor?
- “Strawberries are strawberries, right. I’ll look for the store with the lowest price.”
- “All plumbers are basically the same. I wonder who’s the cheapest in town?”
- “There’s a mechanic on every corner in this town. I’ll call around for who can do it for less.”
oh . . . not to leave us out . . .
- “I just need someone to help me understand social media marketing. I’ll search online and pick the first one I see on Page 1 of Google.”
It happens to all of us. In one sense of another, we’re all a commodity. (By the way, Wikipedia defines commodity: “A commodity is some good for which there is demand, but which is supplied without qualitative differentiation across a market.”)
Nancy Beth Guptill, one of my fellow Duct Tape Marketing coaches located in Canada, shares this insightful article, drawing on John Jantsch’s ideas that “every business is a commodity business.” Differentiation is the key to winning this battle.
Scott Ginsberg also relates “How to sell a commodity and still win.” Great practical ideas from the guy with who wears a Nametag everywhere he goes (now, that’s different)!
-Randy