Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. You have a problem. You need something. You want to do something. These days, competition is everywhere, and increasing. It’s like walking down the cereal aisle: competition is overwhelming, even for the shopper. No one knows how to make a choice.
Competition stops being healthy
Just like the cereal aisle, competition gets to be like adding even more sugar to the cereal. Your competition offers more and more stuff that doesn’t really help the customer: cuter packaging, sexy names, and “secret toy surprises.” All the choices look stunning…but they don’t help you make the right choice. When its all too overwhelming the customer looks for just one different they can understand. And it comes down to…price.
Rise above the competition
In any competition, there is a way to win. In business, the answer is understanding what’s most important to the customer (their “hot buttons”) and explaining how you have the answer. Delivering the right message to the right people at the right time isn’t always easy, and it’s tempting to try to out do your competitor on their terms, but it won’t pay off.
Redefine the competition
You know your product (or service) as well or better than anyone else. You’ve observed how customers use it, and what’s important to them. (If not, ask!) Why not lay out all your arguments, from emotional to purely logical, to answer the customers real questions, and real needs. Lose the cliches filled with “empty claims” (“Your success is our success,” or “Close is not good enough for us,” or “Dedicated to you.”) Replace them with hard hitting facts that will actually make a difference to your customer (like “Which investments will actually jeopardize your retirement?” or “3 Critical Questions to Ask your Attorney: can yours answer them?” or “The problems you’ll face when you ask for a business loan at any bank except First Financial”)
Your competition can keep competing like boxes of cereal in the grocery store. They know how to get kids excited. But your customers are adults, and adults recognize real, useful information when they see it. You can beat your competition when you give customers the right information at the right time.
Want ideas on how to do it? Call for a Free 15-minute Discovery Session: in New York call (212) 355-6980. In Connecticut call (203) 655-3920. Or nationwide, call (800) 862-8896, today.