How To Stand Head And Shoulders Above Your Competition

Introduction:

Differentiation, niche marketing, and positioning. These and other related business buzzwords have no doubt crossed every small business owner’s ears in recent years.

But what do these words really mean to the average entrepreneur?  Usually, they mean that a business will attempt to sell a product or service, which is somehow different than the competitions to a certain, specific kind of customer. In theory, this is a great idea. If you could just reach that one segment of the market with your great, new, innovative product . .

.

Welcome to reality. If your company is innovative enough to develop a truly unique product or service that is earning you a profit, the following inevitably happens: competition springs up from nowhere to imitate your product, undersell your price, and steal your market share. It’s immutable. 

So, as your next line of defense, you choose to position yourself as the quality leader within your field. Or as the low price leader. Or as the service king.  You soon find yourself in a battle with four other companies; all claiming to be have the largest selection in the state.

CLARITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN VOLUME

A marketing free-for-all usually ensues. Each competitor tries in vain to shout with the loudest voice that his business is superior. Headlines get bigger, radio ads get more obnoxious, advertising agencies get richer. More significantly, customers begin to discount any claim made by any of the companies. 

Is niche-marketing the way to go then? Obviously different is better than me-too. Target marketing is more profitable than selling to the masses. The question isn’t whether or not to be different, but rather how to communicate those differences in a way that your customers will believe and embrace them.

Your Real Opportunity for Innovation Lies in the Marketing.

I live in Florida where there seems to be an HVAC company every other block. Of course they all claim to be “the” experts. Most tell me in bullet points that they only charge one low rate, even if service is needed after hours or on weekends. Almost all of them tout that they fix all major brands. 

None of them, however, gives me a compelling reason why I should call them instead of their competitors. The “unique” claims of each company have become generic, non-appealing, and meaningless to the prospect that is just waiting to be sold. 

Surprisingly, very few businesses really make more than a token attempt to distinguish themselves from their competitors. Once a company stakes out a position in the marketplace, the usual strategy is to foolishly proclaim to all potential customers, “Here we are, now give us all the business that you have been giving to our competition for no justifiable, rational reason.” 

Fortunately, you can cash in on what your competitors are doing wrong.  The most powerful tool you can use to stand head and shoulders above your competition is the Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Your USP is the singular, unique benefit that your customers can expect to receive when they favor your business instead of your competitor’s -- stated in specific, graphically illustrative terms.

Articulate Your Advantage

What if the HVAC companies in our area took the time to determine what their customers wanted most from an HVAC company? Here in Florida where winter hits for a weekend or two and the rest of the year can be swelteringly hot, even a couple of hours without their AC can be sheer misery. Clearly, Fast Service should be a key pillar to a USP for an HVAC company.

But everyone else already claims to have fast service. Some companies even put FAST SERVICE in big headlines at the top of their ads and on their trucks. It's not as if nobody else has figured out that being fast was important. The funny thing was that nobody seems to have figured out a way to say it in a way that would allow them to stand head and shoulders above the competition.

Imagine seeing an ad for a local HVAC company hit your social media wall or search engine page that said something like this:

"Because we have 40 technicians on call 24 hours a day to man our 23 service trucks, we can guarantee that one of our techs will be on site at your home or business within 2 hours of your call...or there’s no charge for the Service Call.”

Which company would you choose when all of the others are only saying "Fast Service" in their ads?

What's Your USP?

Your USP should be developed around your strengths and your competitors’ weaknesses. Some general USP premises might be lower prices, biggest selection, longest warrantee, convenience, quality, superior services, better guarantee--anything that sets you apart from the pack.

Whatever it is, how you articulate it is every bit as important as the USP itself.

Need help with your USP? Schedule a call with our team and let us help you brainstorm.

Schedule a Call with the G220 Team