How to Differentiate Yourself from Your Competitors

When someone is looking for a particular product or service, there are some factors they’ll consider before making their decision. The first factors they look at are usually price and quality, maybe location if it’s something that can’t be provided online. But what if your price and quality are fairly similar to those of your competitors? What’s the one thing only you can provide that will make someone choose you over one of your competitors?

I believe we all have something unique to offer. Plenty of people can do what you do, but no one can do it quite like you do. The trick is to find out what that special something is that makes you unique and convey it in all your messaging, so let’s go over some tips on how you can do that.

Branding

Proper branding is key to standing out from the competition. This means everything about your company should have the same look and feel to it. What images are included in your logo? What are your brand’s colors? What font do you use? All of these should be used consistently in everything your company does, from your social media posts to your website to your invoices. People should know the second they see something that it came from your company.

Your branding should also include the tone of voice you use in all your content. Think of your favorite movie or TV show. If you were to see a written line of dialogue from that movie or TV show that you had never heard before, would you be able to identify the character who said it without being told? If the writing is any good, it should be easy, and the same goes for your brand’s content. People should be able to know it came from your brand, even if they don’t see your logo.

Relationships

It’s a common saying that we do business with those we know, like, and trust, and it is so true. Even if your competitors are offering a lower price or have a more impressive website, someone who already knows and trusts you is much more likely to work with you over anyone else, so make sure you devote time to building relationships with your prospects.

Attend networking events. Meet with them individually so you can get to know them on a more personal level. Empathize with their pain points, regardless of whether it’s something with which you can help. Even if they’re not ready to buy from you now, putting in the time and effort to help them now will pay off later when they are ready to buy.  (If you'd like some great tips on Networking, check out my free online course Networking to Effectively Reach Your Goals.)

Don’t forget to continue to build and maintain relationships with your existing clients. Too many business owners make the mistake of focusing so hard on getting new clients that they forget to make sure their current clients are happy. Remember that getting new customers can cost up to five times more than the cost of keeping existing customers, so don’t forget to invest in those relationships as well. (A great online course with extra tips on relationship building is my Relationship Building the Key to Success.) 

Foundation

​Your branding and relationship building should both be part of the foundation of your business, which means they come before everything else. If you can solidify those two aspects of your business, the rest will follow.

Whether you need help establishing the foundation of your business, or you’re ready to move on to the next steps of getting the word out and growing your business, my book is a great place to start. It leads you through each step of starting a successful business, from foundation to marketing, complete with worksheets you can complete along the way.