"The basic issue in marketing is creating a category you can be first in."
Charles Lindbergh.
Who was the second? I sense silence.
With every client, I spend time asking them what makes them different than the competition. And I preface it by saying the answer is not "great employees, marvelous customer service, family owned, years in business, etc." Everyone says these things, so no one can own this positioning. It turns out that answering the question "what makes you better than the competition" is harder to answer than you think. And for the record, few consumers really care how long you have been in business (it didn't help Montgomery Wards), they don't care that you are family owned, and they don't believe all of your employees are the very best.
What can you tell your clients and prospects about you and your business that makes you number one in their eyes?
Frequently the answer stares you in face. It can be a fact that everyone already knows, but nobody is claiming ownership of it. In the pizza business it might be "We deliver rain or shine." Do all pizza companies deliver rain or shine? Of course. But if you are first to claim this position, you have the chance to own the position in the mind of the consumer. When the other pizza chains start advertising that they also deliver rain or shine, are they leading or following? In the pizza business today, you have to deliver. Why not position yourself as the leader in delivery?
What service do you provide that is important in the mind of your clients?
When you think of fast food and breakfast, who do you think of? McDonald's. They pioneered drive through breakfast.
If I say Pizza, Pizza, you think of Little Caesars. At least around here.
The point is, find a relevant point about your business where you can be seen as a leader and claim it. And keep in mind, if you don't tell the prospect/client, you will not receive credit.
By the way, Bert Hinkler was the second person to fly solo across the Atlantic.
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