Your Differentiators Suck. Follow These 5 Steps to Stand Out From Your Competition. If you believe your organization is unique because you focus on quality, service or customer success, be prepared to have your marketing messages ignored.
By Andrea Olson Edited by Micah Zimmerman
Key Takeaways
- Differentiation is about positioning you so that customers perceive you in a certain way — a clear, unique, and compelling way.
- Even though it may feel safe to follow the herd, by blending in, you lose the ability to stand out — and in the end, that's what matters most.
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Every company tries to stand out from the competition. We tout our differentiators and push them across all of our presentations and marketing messages. Yet, more often than not, these differentiators are simply not different. For instance, take this example from a major advertising agency's website:
"We are trailblazers in our field and have worked directly with some of the industry's top companies. Our focus is the client. Our goal is to help you achieve success. Our people are some of the best you'll find working in the industry today."
While all these points may be true, they surely don't stand out. One would be hard-pressed to identify what company this is, and that's the problem. Too many organizations focus on building the proverbial tick-list of differentiators they believe they must communicate, and not enough time on what their customers actually care about and what truly makes their organization unique.
This creates marketing messages that all sound the same, look the same, and act the same. In this sea of sameness, organizations need to learn how to stand out in a way that doesn't require price cuts or new offerings. This is where true differentiation comes in, and here are the five steps to take to find yours.
Related: 4 Simple Tips for Standing Out in the Crowded Startup World
1. Identify what your audience cares about
Your target customer has a problem or need they struggle to address, and this is what you claim to solve. But what keeps them up at night? What words would they use to describe their challenges? This requires having a handful of intimate conversations with your top customers. Don't waste time asking them what they look for in a company like yours, but rather find out what their organization struggles with, and have them describe in their own words the good and bad experiences they've had in your space.
2. Examine what you're excellent at currently
No organization wants to admit its shortcomings. But it is critical to determine what you're not just good at but uniquely excellent at. Why are you significantly better than the competition? Be specific - it's not good enough to claim you have "the best people" or are "more honest" or "more transparent." It's more important to focus on what you bring to the table that no one else can and the what/how/why behind those unique differences.
3. Select the one or two most important common things
Cross-compare both lists you've made and pair them down to one or two of the most important, common things between them. These items need to be both something your audience deeply cares about and something that you can deliver in a superior way. Keeping your list to one or two items helps you focus on what makes you different rather than the things required to "be in the game" and avoid hollow buzzwords.
Related: How to Set Yourself Apart From the Competition
4. Frame it from the audience's perspective
Take your identified differentiators and write them in a way that solves a problem for your audience. You should ask, "Why would someone care about it?". Eliminate generalities by explaining the how and why behind your differentiator. For instance, if your audience cares about "quick responsiveness," frame it around how they avoid pain or issues through the distinct way you handle customer requests - ideally, through a distinctive approach.
Related: Why Problems Are More Powerful Than Products
5. Test and refine (over and over again)
Does your message make sense? Is it compelling? Share examples with trusted colleagues and customers and get their feedback. What do they find compelling? Cross-compare with your key competitors - are you saying the same thing in a slightly different way, or are you framing your message differently? What differentiators do they highlight? What do your customer's industry publications say are the biggest business challenges? Don't be afraid to write and refine your differentiators and messages repeatedly.
Getting it right out of the gate can be incredibly hard, so don't be afraid to change it as you gain more insights and learn more information over time. Apple advertised the iPod with the famous line, "1,000 songs in your pocket". Take inspiration from other industries and companies. Study classic ads. Differentiation is not about the words you want on the page. It's about the words your customers would say on a page.
It's not enough to simply say you're customer-focused, service-oriented, highly experienced, or provide quality products and services. Differentiation is about positioning you so that customers perceive you in a certain way — a clear, unique, and compelling way. Make it friendly. Make it approachable. Make it feel like you're talking to the customer - not at the customer. Tell a story that emotionally connects. Because even though it may feel safe to follow the herd, by blending in, you lose the ability to stand out — and in the end, that's what matters most.
