It has been a while, readers and something has been nagging me. So many companies claim to be the best at what they do. This, or they claim to be different, unique or claim to value their customers and many other claims like this.
To be truly successful in most businesses, you must differentiate yourself. If you are unsuccessful at doing this, your product or service will be reduced to merely a commodity where the only thing that matters is price. Remember that in the absence of differentiation, all that remains is price.
It is very important to stand out from the crowd, to not get lost in the “sea of sameness”, to quote Larry Levine. Research your competition to see what they are doing and discover how you can do it differently, and hopefully better.
I suggest that you take an hour or two to brainstorm about what your prospect is feeling, and thinking and what will get their attention when they first meet you. It is time to seriously think out of the box with regard to how you can set yourself apart. (Sorry for the cabinetry pun).
There is a point I am getting at with this thought. I am sure you have all seen advertising where individuals or companies state that they “…truly care about our customers.” or, “We offer a very unique purchasing experience.”, or “For one of a kind service”.
Actions speak far louder than words.
My belief is that if you are actually offering your customers something special and unique, you don’t need to advertise it and much of the time, maybe should not be advertising it. If you have managed to create a unique experience for your clients, word will get out about it and your actions will carry far and wide from your client’s testimonials much better than any publicity will.
When General Motors launched their Saturn dealerships, one-price shopping and a complete tour of the vehicle and how it was made was a very new thing in the car industry. They did not have to advertise how their process set them apart. They let word of mouth do most of their speaking for them. Through this, they were able to help their Saturn cars (in my opinion, a car that was very so-so), sell incredibly well because of their customer’s overall experience.
Tiffany and Co. does not state anywhere in their advertising or website what your purchasing experience will be like. They never say anything like “We value all our clients”, or “Our customers deserve the best”, or anything such as this. They don’t have to because their reputation has spread about the amazing experience they offer when you make an appointment to shop with them. They do talk about the services they offer, but they never state how these might be different from their competitors. Sure, they offer some of the best and most unique merchandise (and very expensive), but the shopping experience has gained a reputation for being top-notch and truly special.
When I see or hear of any company that states “for a truly unique experience”, or anything like this, I am immediately skeptical. If the overall experience is unique, they wouldn’t have to say so.
It has been determined through surveys that more than half of consumers based their decision to buy not because of the product or service offered, not because of the perceived value-to-price ratio, but because of their overall buying experience.
For that reason, you must be different and if you are, in your client’s view, you will be successful.
Please don’t advertise it, just DO IT!
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Tags: #kitchens, #selling, design, interiordesign, kbis, nkba