Do you want to stand our more from your competitors?
Do you spend time wondering why you keep losing money to businesses that are not as good as yours or as well positioned to deliver as you are?
One opportunity after another seems to slip through your hands and for what reason?
You may be doing all the right things… you’ve hired a company that takes care of your website, search engine optimization, social media, marketing strategies and you’re well positioned for growth.
But it’s not happening the way it should. Your competitors still earn more business than you do and they are doing half of what you are doing.
Maybe the problem is something different.
Perhaps it has nothing to do with the technology and everything to do a few simple tweaks.
Do your prospects and customers have an opinion of your business or do you just blend in with your competitors?
What’s stopping you from sticking out from the field of your competitors?
When it comes to digital marketing there is probably not a distinction from you competitors other than your logo and people don’t want to buy from your logo.
They want to buy from you if you give them a reason to.
Perception of your business is everything!
This is a lesson I learned 12 years ago when I started my first company and it has served me well every step of the way. Becoming a trusted resource was the difference between mediocrity and success.
Today I want to share with you three ways that you can separate yourself from your competitors and they have nothing to do with what you sell or what you are “technically” doing to promote your business.
Are you ready?
Three Ways to Stand Out from Your Competitors and Separate Your Business
#1 – Who is the Face and Personality of Your Company?
Many business owners, entrepreneurs and executives are just not comfortable with putting themselves out there in the public domain.
I get it, you’re may not be trained for it and being in front of people can be a challenging thing.
Some are just not wired that way and there is always that tension for them.
Yet, someone needs to be the face of the business.
For example, Matt Cutts has been that guy for Google. He has become the face in many respects. For those who follow Google and SEO he has been the public face that shares what’s going on and answers questions from the public via video, speeches, etc.
People don’t buy logos, they buy people.
What do I mean by that?
Of course, they are buying your product or service to solve a problem, fill a need or fulfill a desire.
But who are they going to buy from and why?
When people are researching, especially online, it takes more than telling them what you sell and the features and benefits of the product or service.
It takes more than just a bright, shiny, beautiful landing or sales page on your website.
It takes a real person who is passionate and relevant to the audience.
Does the website visitor feel it coming through the content?
Are the real people smiling and communicating both logically and emotionally?
Are pictures and video present?
Videos in themselves are powerful.
According to Hubspot, a leading marketing research organization,
“…video on a landing page can increase conversion rates by 80%? … 92% of mobile video consumers share videos with others?”
The reason video is so powerful is three fold in my opinion:
- It’s passive and people can consume information faster and easier than actively reading.
- The audience can see, hear and feel your passion/emotion. That’s three senses in one sitting versus one sense when reading.
- Your audience will begin to feel they know you personally, and that’s the most powerful aspect.
If video, public speaking and being the face of your business is not your thing, then consider finding someone who is and will care about your business and message almost as much as you do.
In order to find those people, you will have to understand your passion and message and discover those who align with it that will then be the face and who will share your brand and message on your behalf.
Your logo can’t do that for you.
Your branding can’t do that for you.
Branding simply reinforces the feelings that people have about your business and if they don’t have any feelings that are positive then what incentive do they have?
#2 – Be Relevant to the Consumer
In last week’s article titled “Is Content Dead or are You Just Missing Something That’s Promising?” I shared some alarming statistics and revealed what many consumers are saying about their perceptions of many businesses.
In essence, they don’t feel that businesses care about them.
There are a lot of reasons, but one reason is that most people don’t identify with a face of the company and they don’t feel that the company understands or cares about them.
Many consumers feel that businesses are only interested in selling to anyone and everyone who will buy from them.
Now, that’s true if we are honest as business owners!
However, we must create the most exceptional experience possible for the consumer that gives them a reason to feel that we as businesses care about them because we genuinely do.
How do we do that in a digital environment so that we stand out from our competitors?
Speak the consumer’s language.
I have recently shared the following quote from Paul Cherry in his book “Questions That Sell”:
“Research has shown that during typical business interactions customers reveal only 20% of what is on their minds… It is your responsibility to get to the other 80%.”
When we are able to understand our prospects and customers at a personal level, we start connecting dots and consciously and subconsciously reveal to the consumer that we understand them and that we care about both them and our business.
When we are relevant to the consumer, we immediately stand out from our competitors who only understand how to talk features and benefits. Most consumers already know the features and benefits. They want to know why they should buy you over your competitor.
#3 – Don’t Be Afraid to Step Up to the Ledge
If you’re going to stand out from your competitor, that brings me to my third and final point.
Don’t be afraid to step up to the ledge and look over it, no matter how afraid you may be.
Business is full of opportunities and many businesses miss opportunities because of a fear or insecurity.
We have to be tenaciously smart!
That means we have to learn how to become comfortable with the uncomfortable.
It means realizing that there may be better ways of doing things.
It could be that we need to take a stand on a controversial topic or issue within our industries.
Don’t be afraid of what others may say if you’ve done the research, can support it and then take bold steps forward.
Don’t be afraid to take a smart risk. I’m not advocating for shooting completely in the dark and putting your company and future at risk foolishly.
But there are times when smart risks are required and there is no certain outcome. Intuition can be a very powerful thing.
If you:
- Are willing to overcome your fear or insecurity around something, or…
- Become comfortable with the uncomfortable
- Take a stand when required on a controversial issue
- Take smart risks
You will most certainly stand out from the competition.
That can look like a lot of different things.
For example, how did Southwest Airlines remain a lost cost carrier from 2008-2014 when other airlines were forced to raise their prices thanks to $ 100 plus dollar per barrel of oil?
They did what others couldn’t and secured a large, long-term contract for fuel futures before the price of a barrel of oil exploded. At the time it was a gamble, but it was ultimately one they foresaw as having a huge dividend. For them the risk paid off and they were able to secure a larger portion of the traveling public because they could afford to keep prices lower while their competitors could not. When they announced the futures purchase it caused panic and some backlash inside their industry.
But who does Southwest serve?
Do they server? Their competitors or their customers?
Don’t be afraid to step up to the ledge.
3 Astonishing Ways to Stand Out From Your Competitors and Earn More Business
You may have all the right ingredients in place. Your website looks great, you’re getting great traffic from a search engine, people see your social media posts and occasionally you even get an email subscriber.
But your competition still keeps outselling you.
In this article, I’ve proposed three ways you can up your game and earn the business.
- Get a face and some personality behind your business.
- Learn how to speak “customer” and be relevant to their problems, needs, wants or desires.
- Don’t be afraid to step up to the ledge
By doing so you will begin to position your business as a trusted resource and as a result, you will be what your competitors are not, or can’t attain to.
It’s not enough to just have a great product to sell someone.
You have to connect the dots for the consumer, show them you care about them and then engage each relationship through the way you communicate to them.
Business isn’t about selling; it’s about building the right relationships, in the right way, that earn the trust of the consumers so that they can buy from you; and discerning when it’s appropriate to take smart risks.
It’s about putting your business in a favorable position to relevantly solve one problem, meet one need or fulfill one desire at a time.
If you’re already doing all the right “technical” things and you’re struggling to outsell your competition, these are the three things that I believe will put you over the top.
What do you think?
I would love to hear your experiences, thoughts, ideas and questions in the comment section below.
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