What do you say when asked “What is your key point of difference?”
Of course there can be many answers, but often you hear small business owners say it is due to customer service.
The problem with this is that it is so generic.
Also you will probably find your competitors say the same thing.
So, let’s look at it in another way. What do your friends or family say makes you special?
- Your easy smile
- Your diplomacy
- The way you make people laugh
- Your easy going nature
- Your quirky sense of humour
- Your directness
- Your generosity
You get the picture.
It comes down to some part of your personality. Just as with your personal relationships some part of your personality hits home with your loyal customers, especially if you have a service business.
In fact unless you have a Jekyll and Hyde personality, you will probably find that your customers say similar things as your friends.
I have written before about developing your brand’s personality. This just looks at it in another way.
Success with marketing your brand often comes down to the simple things.
For some reason these days we sometimes have a tendency to go all deep and meaningful regarding marketing and make it more complicated.
Find out what they think
You don’t have to do research, instead be alert when you are communicating with your customers. Just as with friends they will let you know what they think about you in their own way. Of course if you want to research that is fine.
Keep a track of what they say, make a list and see what the most popular words are.
How to use the special list
Once you have the list, it is a good idea to check whether you are making the most out of it with your marketing.
For example, your customers say they really enjoy your quirky sense of humour. However your website in both content and design is very serious.
You could make some changes to your website to reflect that part of your personality. It may set you further apart from your competitors and attract customers who like doing business with this someone with this trait.
You can be professional as well as using the parts of your personality that customers find attractive. Have a look at your marketing communication and the way you communicate. See if there are changes that you could make that can make a difference.
Over to you what are your thoughts?
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Niall Devitt and bloggertone2, Susan Oakes. Susan Oakes said: What Makes You Special? http://bit.ly/9nX9wt [...]
Hi Susan,
I don’t know, I have been asking myself that every day! LOL Some say I am funny – I don’t see it. I try to laugh so that I don’t cry most of the time
Seriously though, I think my ability to understand my client’s business and see their product/service through the eyes of their potential customers is something that is certainly advantageous. And I am creative in my approach offering suggestions on how to think outside-of-the box.
Thanks once again for sharing your great insights!
Julie Weishaar recently posted..Facebook is Taking Over The World
Hi Julie,
I would say you are funny. You just need to learn to laugh at your own jokes
Seeing through the eyes of potential customers is an advantage. What do your client’s say?
Hey Susan. I will try to laugh at my own jokes – HA HA – there I did it. Here is what one of my client’s says:
“I am glad I found Julie on BizNik, She took the time to learn about my business and gave me some great ideas. I had her do the video profile and plan on utilizing her services in the future. It’s nice to get some fresh ideas. Julie, you’re super!” Douglas Rector, Owner, North West Loss Prevention Consultants”
Doug has come back several times so I guess what I am doing is working. (he is also a great guy) I am currently creating a video for him on mobile mystery shopping. I don’t have a smart phone LOL but I understand his business/concept. Anyone interested in how to do mystery shopping with their iphone?
Julie Weishaar recently posted..Facebook is Taking Over The World
My friend who is funny slaps her thigh as she tells the punchline and starts laughing. Her young son has now taken up this action and he thinks he is funny.
Good example and you obviously are doing it right if he keeps coming back. Interesting concept about the mystery shopping. Good luck with the video.
As long as your friend doesn’t slap your thigh! LOL
Still on slide TWO – note to self: get off email and back to work!
Julie Weishaar recently posted..Facebook is Taking Over The World
Luckily no, but she laughs so loud the rest of us often miss the punchline!
Hi Susan. I’m a big fan of being explicit rather than generic. I agree with you that the more specific you get, the greater the cutting power of your message. Best regards, P.
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your comment and i am sure your client’s have told you why you are so special. Want to share, although I think I can guess a couple?
Now THAT’S a nice invitation! I’ve added a link to what they’ve said about me. I’m so humbled by these testimonials, I daren’t paraphrase them.
Glad you added the link Paul as they are terrific testimonials.
Thanks for sharing them with us and your humility is one trait I would use to describe you
What Makes You Special | M4B Marketing…
What do you say when asked “What is your key point of difference?” Of course there can be many answers, but often you hear small business owners say it is due to customer service.The problem with this is that it is so generic. Instead find out the key…
Susan,
A very inspirational post! Very heartening. Almost everybody has beauty in them. Specialness. Yet, some people in Business still don’t get it. What makes them unique”
Their frown.
Their crappy attitude.
Their sense of entitlement (thinking their store or their business is the only game in town…they don’t realize that dissatisfied customers usually have alternatives)
It’s about customer service. People want to be made to feel special. It is the greatest selling point we have. Bill Gates once said his chief criteria for hiring is attitude. You can teach anybody to operate a computer but attitude can’t be taught.
Wonderful post!
Yoni
Hi Yoni.
First up I hope you are going okay. Very true about attitude and I bet your clients know what makes working with you special. It certainly would not be boring.
I like the your words about ‘the beauty in them”.
Thanks for taking the time to comment Yoni.
Hi Susan,
You’ve performed a great service with this post. I nearly weep with boredom every time a small business owner tells me they have great service. When I ask them what that means, they can almost never articulate it because they haven’t really thought about it before. In a lot of cases, they DON’T deliver much in the way of service at all. Thanks for making us all stop and think about how we really are different.
Cheers,
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
Service does seem to the catch cry and it can mean so many things. Also unless they know from feedback they are in that dangerous ground of assumptions.
Thanks for adding to the topic.
What a great way to reflect upon our strengths and maximize them for marketing. Recently, a client told me that I was an excellent “listener”. I used this to describe myself in a profile for a networking site. Great post Susan.
Keyuri Joshi (on the ball parent coach) recently posted..How Parents and Kids Can Overcome Doubt- Criticism- and Failure
Hi Keyuri,
That is an excellent example and shows how easily the information can be used. This strength of yours would definitely set you about.
Thanks for sharing.
Susan, I agree that being transparent is important for everyone. With all the social networking we do today it’s a best practice to just be yourself.
Hi Catherine,
It is easier to be yourself, less taxing on the memory of who you are supposed to be.
Thanks for bringing up this topic, Susan. It reminds me that I always have to step up my game. I had a meeting this Monday and it went really well. What sold it was the fact that I did a little research before out meeting and learned the company philosophy and their target market. I was more than prepared when we met and he was impressed on how versed I was in his companies’ background.
Dennis Salvatier recently posted..A Work in Progress in Progress
Hi Dennis,
Thanks for sharing that and it showed that you were interested in their business not just the project. It can mean a lot to a client.
Thanks for tweaking my brain a bit! I think I’ve actually been a little afraid of letting the “real me” shine through in marketing. “What if they think I’m a flake?” rather than being amused by a quirky sense of humor has definitely been a thought. I’ll revisit my website and see where I can insert a bit of personality.
Hi Kate,
While some may not like your quirky sense of humour the ones that count will and they will know it is not fake. I like your website and didn’t know Kansas was the sunflower state. Good luck with the website and let us know if it makes a difference as I think it probably will.
Thanks for your comment.
So true Susan. In today’s world everybody has an audience online. So it’s best to stick to who you are.
Catarina Alexon recently posted..How inspiring leaders work
Hi Catarina,
It is much better that way and people are pretty good at sensing a false personality.
Susan, I always say that people like to do business with people they like. I’ve never quite thought of it as my “brand’s personality” before but that’s a great way of looking at it. So, what makes me “special” to my clients? If I had to guess, it would be speaking in English not Geek.
Sherryl Perry recently posted..Differentiate your Website From Your Competitors with Live Help
Hi Sherryl,
You are right about liking especially for service businesses. From your blog posts and the way you explain things I would agree. Have you ever asked your clients what they say what is special about you?
Personality is what sets blogs apart not only in their own niches, but in the entire blogosphere. I think you two are right about having personality but not being fake. You want to be entertaining but real. On top of those things you want to make sure you consider your own audience and what will benefit them. For example if you are some what aggressive in your personality, you may want to restrain that side of your personality in a niche like personal development. Don’t forget about professionalism!
Dustin recently posted..How to Brainstorm Ideas For Your Blog Posts
Hi Dustin,
For some reason your comment got caught up, sorry about that. Great point about your personaliy and your niche. Actaully you can tell quite a bit about bloggers and their personalities by they way they write, their tone and also the way they interact with readers.
Thanks for adding to the discussion.
Years ago Tom Peters gave an example of typical company slogans: “We’re no worse than anyone else.”
There’s a lot of truth to that, and in such a business environment it should be fairly easy to differentiate yourself.
The caveat, of course, is one may think you are wonderful while another can’t stand you – and for the very same reasons.
There are decisions to be made regarding whether to mold your Specialness to what your existing customers expect, or, try to attract new customers with other traits you are more comfortable with.
Or you can simply have multiple personalities, like me, and offend & please everyone all at the same time!
Rick
Rick LaPoint @ Internet Marketing recently posted..Fortune Favours the Bold
Hi Rick,
I have often read your blog posts and and I would say you please rather than offend at least from your readers point of view.
It should be easy but many try to be like others. Interesting point about molding your specialness and I had not thought of it in that way.
Thanks for adding to the discussion.
I can consider that in being unique in business.
Ron from Language School Bournemouth recently posted..Practice What you Have Learnt
Perhaps asking your students can help you decide what makes your business special.
Very interesting. Thanks for the post, really enjoyed it!
Thanks for your comment Liz.
My biggest issue is figuring out what to do with the difference, and knowing whether the difference is really enough. My clients know me as a realist who cuts to the chase and works quickly. My friends and family know me as a quiet cut up (and actually so do most clients). But I’m not sure whether or why those would be valuable differences.
What do you think?
Tia recently posted..Just Another Made-Up Holiday
Hi Tia,
Have to ask what is a quiet cut up?
If you take what they say about you then this will be part of your communication in terms of how you communicate and the tone etc. I other words part of your positioning.
You have asked good questions and the only answer is to see if these traits and the benefits of these traits are important for your customers and why it is important to them. When you say your clients know you as a realist is that what they say to you? Talk to a few you are close to. Just listen and jot down what they say and how they say it, what words they use and I think you will see what it means to them pretty quickly and if they are important to them.
Hope this helps and let me know how you go.
Wahoo! Got my avatar to work!
I think my skills lie in explaining complicated concepts in an ABC way.
Many people say, wow that is the first time I have ever understood that, when I work with them,
Heather
Heather Smith recently posted..Between 45 and 60 minutes is the optimum time for a webinar
Well done on getting the avatar working Heather. That is a great skill to have as not many can explain in simple terms.
[...] The value of you! Believe it or not, a great opportunity may not start with a great idea, product or service, it may start with you. What sets you apart, makes you special? If you were a product on a shelf, what would make a customer choose you. Think about what you have that no one else possess and you may have the makings of a great business model. M4B Marketing [...]
[...] The value of you! Believe it or not, a great opportunity may not start with a great idea, product or service, it may start with you. What sets you apart, makes you special? If you were a product on a shelf, what would make a customer choose you. Think about what you have that no one else possess and you may have the makings of a great business model. M4B Marketing [...]
[...] The value of you! Believe it or not, a great opportunity may not start with a great idea, product or service, it may start with you. What sets you apart, makes you special? If you were a product on a shelf, what would make a customer choose you? Think about what you have that no one else possess and you may have the makings of a great business model. M4B Marketing [...]