There’s a phrase that goes, “Better isn’t better. Different is better.”
The idea is that it is extremely difficult to compete on quality and/or price. Being a little bit better or a little bit cheaper doesn’t make you stand out.
It also always ends up in a race to the bottom on price, and no one wants to be the cheapest tool in the shed.
Competing on price or quality stacks you in a cluster with your competition. You don’t want to be clustered. You want to be an outlier.
To be an outlier, you need to look, feel, and BE different. (Think Different. Where have I heard that before?)
That feels easier said than done. I mean, there are 25 plumbing companies in your town, are you truly that different?
However, it is possible, and if you achieve it, it pays dividends.
So, how do you make your business stand out from the competition?
I have one question that helps speed that process along.
What about your competition or industry sucks that you do really well?
It’s a simple question, right?
Most brainy brand bros will ask you, “What do you want to change about your industry?” or “How are you different from your competition?” Those don’t really get the juices flowing in my experience.
So, what about your competition or industry sucks that you do better, or could do better without adding significant overhead to your business?
Do you have customers who have come from your competitors? What absolutely drove them up the wall and forced them to try you after working with the competition?
Go look at Google reviews of your competitors or the top dogs in your industry. What do the 3, 2, and 1-star reviews say? Can you authentically counter those complaints with your own business?
Go Deeper Than The Obvious Complaints
It will be tempting to settle on the low-hanging fruit.
- Lack of communication
- Impolite staff
- Always behind schedule
- Blindsided by price increases
You might want to put some promises or guarantees on your website that counter these, but they’re not truly going to make you different.
Dig deeper for things that are more cultural, structural, and provide a “Wow factor” to your customers.
Dig through all of the bad reviews and complaints and find overarching themes you can draw on to improve your own business and make yourself stand out.
What about your culture, processes, hospitality, follow-up, etc., can you crank up to make you not just stand out, but operate on a completely different plane from your competitors?
Interview Your Own Customers
On top of digging through all the negatives of your competitors and industry, dig into your own customers.
Ask good questions that allow them to expand on what they appreciate about you, what stands out about your business, and what they found lacking in working with you.
These conversations will be eye-opening. We think we know what our customers think, but we really have no idea until we give them a safe opportunity to open up.
You’d be surprised how much people hold back until given permission to let loose, both good and bad.
Standing Out Isn’t Optional
Whatever you do, find a way to stand out from your competition. Find a way to look, feel, and be different.
You want people to remember you. You NEED people to remember you. To do that, the best thing you can do is be different. Different sticks in people’s minds.
If you’re different, you will come to mind when they need you. If you’re just another provider, they’ll turn to a random Google search, and you might get overlooked.
Want help identifying what makes you different and leveraging it to grow your business? Schedule a Free 30-Minute Strategy Call with me. We’ll either figure out how we can work together to differentiate your business, or you’ll leave with a few helpful tips for free if I’m not the best fit for you.