If your business is presented with the challenge of selling amidst a sea of similar competitors, how do you market your business? How can you stand out as a commodity product or service?
1. Become known for one thing. For example, Steak n Shake is, what? Famous for Steakburgers. Wal-Mart is known for their low prices. What other examples can you think of? What about examples in your particular industry? Try to think about the one benefit that makes you stand out from the rest. Make sure that your competitor cannot claim the same thing, or it’s not a unique differentiator.
2. Brand a phrase or tagline with that differentiator, and put it everywhere! Include this tagline as part of your logo graphic, on your website, business cards, email signature, customer invoices, marketing and advertisements, direct mail campaigns, etc. Do this until your customers and prospects begin to recognize your company for that differentiator.
3. Don’t dilute the marketing message with other offerings. First and foremost, focus on what makes your company unique. Then when people express an interest, you can tell them about the many products or services you offer and sell them in your marketing pieces on the benefits of those things.
4. Don’t over-emphasize price as a differentiator. In a commodity market, it’s easy to be tempted to lower your price in your marketing strategy in order to get the business. But if you truly want to step away from becoming a commodity product or service, the key is to make your company stand out so much from the crowd that people are willing to pay a little extra to get the added benefit from your differentiator.
So remember – focus on what is unique about your company, product or service to stand out from the rest, and soon you and your prospects will look at your company in a whole new light.
Leave a Reply