3 Ways to Stand Out from the Competition

by Charlie Cook ©2007 In Mind Communications, LLC, all rights reserved.

Whether you're a computer technician, financial planner, real estate broker, copywriter, or other service provider, you've got lots of competition. There are plenty of other people in the same business going after the same prospects as you. You may be wondering how you're ever going to get more clients and take your business to the next level.

One thing's certain; you can't expect to stand out from the crowd using the same marketing strategy everyone else does. If you want to transform your business, you need to first transform your marketing.

Imagine you raced cars for fun on the weekend. In accordance with class rules your car and everyone else had 75 horsepower and skinny tires. Furthermore, every aspect of your car and driving strategy was highly regulated by these rules. Your acceleration and speed would be limited. Races would be very close and it would be tough to win.

Now imagine that the class rules were suspended and you dropped a 400 horsepower engine in your car, added big road gripping tires, you could modify it any way you wanted and there were no limitations on how you drove and, best of all, everyone else was following the old rules.

You'd have a big advantage. Your car would leap to the front of the pack and stay there. You'd bring trophies home every week.

Marketing the way everyone else does will keep your business stuck in the slow lane. Stick to a typical marketing approach and you'll get the same results.

Want to stand out from the competition?

Stop doing what everyone else is doing and start using the strategies that help you stand out from the competition and get more clients. There are no marketing rules you have to stick to; it's results that matter.

Here are three ways to distinguish yourself from the competition and grow your business.

1. Target Your Market More Precisely

It's a common marketing mistake to think that the more types of people you appeal to, the better. The opposite is true.

Your prospects are rarely looking for generalists. They want someone who has the knowledge and experience to provide the solution to their specific problem.

Be precise about the ideal clients you want to you serve. Define your target market by industry, by size, by length of time in business, by the problem you solve, etc. Of course, you want to make sure that your target market is large enough for your business to be highly profitable.

When you are clear about whom your products and services really help, you'll attract more clients and you can charge more because of your specialization.

2. Position Your Firm As Experts

Your expertise and that of your competitors may be the same. You've all had many years of experience and are successful to varying degrees. So how do you stand out?

If you want your prospects to see you as an expert in your field, don't expect them to seek you out on their own. Demonstrate your expertise and give them a reason to contact you.

Create a free, irresistible offer that shows your prospects how well you understand their problems and can solve them. Offer a free test drive, a free report on a relevant business topic, or a free consultation or estimate.

3. Build Strong Relationships With Prospects

'Out of sight, out of mind.' Once you're out the door, off the phone, or your prospect has left your web site, they're going to forget you. They are going to forget you just when you want them to get to know you, trust you and think of you when they are ready to buy.

How can you make sure you have a stronger relationship with your prospects than your competitors do?

Stay in contact once a week or once a month. Give your prospects ideas they can use that continue to demonstrate your expertise and present them in a personal, engaging way. Your prospects are more likely to buy from the person they know the best.

Take Action to See Results

If you've been in business for a few years, you may have heard these three marketing ideas. Are you using them to grow your business? For many business people, these aren't secrets or new ideas, but they have yet to put them into action.

Targeting, Positioning and Building Strong Relationships are three simple things you can do that the majority of your competitors, if not all of them, are not doing. Do these three things well and you'll add more horsepower to your marketing and stand out from the competition.

2006 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved

The author, Charlie Cook, helps small business owners and marketing professionals attract more clients, whether you are marketing in print, in person or online. Sign up for the Free Marketing eBook, '7 Steps to get more clients and grow your business', full of practical marketing strategies you can use to increase profits at www.MarketingForSuccess.com