What Makes You Different?

This is post four in the year end marketing review series to help you get ready for the new year.

Whether you discovered that your ideal client has changed or not, reviewing what makes you different is something you should be doing on a regular basis because you need to be sure that what you think makes you different continues to be true as new competitors enter the market. With so many people offering the same products and services, you must create a long term competitive advantage that keeps you ahead of your competition. Being different gets you noticed, creates value and is easily remembered.

Determining what really sets you apart from others in your field and communicating it effectively is not an easy exercise. As business owners, we think we need to have something complex and difficult in order to be valued by our clients when in reality, it may be something we find easy to do but our clients find amazing. We are taught to believe that things of value have to be hard or complex. Just because these things we do are easy for us does not mean they are easy for others. You need to become consciously aware of this value you provide and use it to your benefit.

Do you:

• Find simpler ways of doing things?
• Serve a niche market better than anyone else?
• Bring a new perspective to challenges that offer unique solutions?
• Package your services in a way that appeals to your ideal client?
• Create systems that help clients learn how to do things more effectively?

The secret to identifying your differentiation is to understand what your ideal client really wants and making sure you deliver it better than anyone else. You need to have a deep understanding of the market and competition and then determine where you can uniquely offer something that the competition does not, packaged in a way that others cannot easily copy.

Just a note: being the lowest price or offering the best service is not a unique differentiating aspect that will get the attention of your ideal client.

What do you do really well that makes you stand out?