Herd of Cows in Town
I drove past a herd of cows in a field the other day, on my way to work. Nothing memorable about that, you say. Quite right, it was insignificant. So insignificant, in fact, that I didn’t comment upon it when I got to work.
In fact, I never gave it another thought.
The same reaction when I meet someone and enquire about their business and they tell me that they’re a website designer/car dealer/business consultant etc etc. It’s not significant; I meet dozens of people in the same line of business. Why should I take notice?
Now, if I had passed that same herd of cows in the city centre on my way into work; that would have been a totally different story. Cows just aren’t seen being herded through town. I’d have definitely discussed that with my colleagues when I arrived at my desk.
If the herdsman had been wearing a t-shirt, saying that the cows were delivering milk to Bill & Ben’s Ice Cream Factory, I’d remember that and seek out Bill & Ben’s brand when I was next buying ice cream. Why? My curiosity has been aroused. Aroused because I associated it with something different.
The trick is to be seen as something different. Not many businesses do that. Nothing memorable is created around their business. So, if nothing memorable is created, how on earth is anyone ever going to remember them?
Our business is sales proposals and, the first thing I look for when reading a sales proposal is “What makes this business different?”, “Why should I choose this over the others?” I am usually disappointed and rarely ever see anything that captures my attention in a sales proposal.
There is no doubt that it takes time and hard work to create clear water between yourself and your competitors; to create a difference. But, it’s worth it.
The first thing I do when designing a sales proposal for a client is ask the question “What makes you different?”, “What is your Unique Sales Proposition?”
Some times, it takes a while to find it. Some times, I have to help our client create something different. When we do, we then have something to build a proposal around; something that the readers will find interesting. Something that will cause them to say, “Now That’s Different”. Something that will interest their curiosity. Something that will cause them to choose you.
Differentials are not ‘great customer service’ or ‘your experienced staff’. Everybody says that. After all, no-one actually says their service is rubbish.
Great customer service is something that you experience. For your customers to experience it, they have to buy first. To buy, first they have to be given cause.
Think up something different, intriguing or memorable; then your customers will come.
Tags: Differentiation, Marketing
