Armand’s 50 Things: Thing 5

Design My Difference From The Start

When I say talk about difference,  I’m referring to what makes you unique.

• What makes you different from your competitors?

• What is it you do differently or intend to do differently than your competitors?

This is the part that most people don’t plan for. There are so many “met too” products on the Internet right now. They’re the same thing — just under a different name.

Barron’s Marketing Dictionary defines a  “me-too” product as a tactic of a market follower who attempts to avoid losing market share to a competitor by offering a product that is a copy of a competitor’s product or innovation.

You don’t want to be just another different name. You don’t want to be the same thing. You want to be better than your competitors. So I would plan out from the start what my difference is going to be between me and my competitors.

Differentiation can be found in many areas such as price, being known as the expert, adding value (do this and get that), relational marketing which creates loyal clients, etc. Ask yourself what you can do that is not required by the scope of what your customer is purchasing from you. Meaning, how can you go the extra mile to make your company stand out in the mind of the consumer as the only choice in your field for them?

There are many ways you can do this such as offering a better guarantee, scheduling or timeframe of how quickly they get the service or product (of course, the differentiators will be different for many fields of business). The question is what can you do to help your client meet his or her goals which may include making money, saving money, or having more fun. You need to know what your client is hoping to get from you.

If you want to win the customer, you have to do more than the minimum and stand out as unique among competitors.