Understanding what differentiates you from your competitors and articulating those differences at the drop of the hat, are critical to your business survival. Especially if you’re a small to medium sized Colorado Springs business. Without a clear differentiator, prospects and customers are left to their own devices to make the right purchasing decisions. And when that’s the case, it doesn’t matter much if you’re selling hard goods like printers and copiers or soft goods like hamburgers.
Without a differentiator and when all things appear equal, consumers will most often default to price.
Differentiation is a Game Changer
We all want to work with a trusted advisor when making critical business decisions. Your differentiator is what puts you in that spot. So, when it comes to opening new opportunities and converting them to sales, those who lead with a differentiator win most of the business.
What your Differentiator is NOT
Yes, you have amazing customer service. In fact, your current clients rave about how wonderful you are to work with and of course your products and services are the best in Colorado Springs but guess what? Those aren’t the differentiators your prospects are looking for. Those are actually an expectation that your prospects have when they come to the table; great customer service and products are the starting point, not the shining star.
What your Differentiator is:
- Distinct: Your buyers want a differentiator they can visualize and here, language makes all the difference. You might be the “friendliest” print dealer in Colorado Springs or the “world’s best” hamburger joint. But in the eyes of the consumer words like “friendliest” and “best,” are subjective. Try using numbers to quantify your greatness like: “our print and copy service technicians always arrive within 4-hours” or in the case of a hamburger joint, “we use only 100% organic, Colorado Springs grown products.”
- Worthwhile: 100% organic beef won’t help make a sale if the potential customer is vegan nor will 4-hour service level agreements if the customer isn’t buying print hardware. Not every single opportunity will net a customer and that’s ok, the ones who buy are the ones who see your differentiator as valuable.
- Unique: The best differentiator you can have is one that can’t be copied or at the very least is difficult to replicate. This is where tying a number to your value comes in handy. For example, maybe you have 32 ketchup flavors for your amazing organic burgers. Wouldn’t it be odd if your competitor suddenly started touting that they have 33 flavors of ketchup?
Find a Differentiator that Appeals to Everyone:
Unfortunately that’s impossible but again, it’s ok. As we were told growing up, we can’t be all things to all people. Next best strategy is to come up with several differentiators that can be used across multiple scenarios. If you sell printers, you’re probably not selling to only one size or type of business. Pick a few distinct, worthwhile and unique traits that appeal to buyers in different verticals. If you’re running a burger drive-in, learn to differentiate other foods on the menu in order to reach a more diverse crowd. Some people might crave salad, tell them why yours is distinct, worthwhile, and unique or tell them in addition to 32 flavors of ketchup you have 22 types of dressing.
Where to Start:
In order to win more business no matter what you’re selling, it’s important to formulate a plan. So, when thinking about how to differentiate, first look at what your competitors are doing and don’t use their strategy.
Then:
- Brainstorm some ideas for tangible ways you make a difference – and remember it’s not customer service or quality products. Those are a given.
- Verify the ideas work when you ask; are these distinct, worthwhile and unique?
- When in doubt, if you have a great relationship with one of your customers, ask them why they chose you as a business partner.
Looking for our differentiator? We’re the only locally owned and operated Xerox Agent in Colorado Springs and Pueblo. If you want top-notch print and copy hardware and services that drive productivity, we have what you’re looking for and we’re happy to help!
