It’s really a fairly easy concept: figure out a way to make your company different from the rest.
The problem is most companies either don’t bother, or end up differentiating themselves along lines about which the target audience could care less.
There are a number of companies that first focus on what they do well. That’s okay as long as their customers really want that. But what if the customers aren’t all that interested in what a company does well?
Then, it’s time to find out what your chosen customers really want and care about. You need to uncover those differentiating points that resonate with the audience, and drive them to your business. And let me fill you in on some key information – rarely is the main resonating point about price. Sure, most folks will mention they want a low price, but when push comes to shove, you will find other, more important issues behind their motivation to purchase.
And once you figure out what excites them, then work on being the first and best at delivering it, and doing it consistently well. This is a whole lot easier than it sounds. But, if your research is correct, and you’ve nailed a key differentiating element that truly resonates with the audience, then it is well worth the effort - and you will capture incremental sales.
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What Clients Are Saying About Lawrence Kirsch...
“Prior to bringing in Larry, we were considering entering the consumer mass market, a market we never experienced and did not fully understand. After a review of our existing operations and resources, Larry encouraged us to re-focus our efforts on our current markets. He believed there were tremendous growth opportunities yet to be exploited. Through his efforts, we identified the need for a new type of product, and, after significant research and development, launched this new product with resounding success. Just two years later, this landmark new product represented nearly 40% of our gross revenues.”
Kenton Oakes
President
Creative Industries
Manufacturer of Art Equipment & Supplies
"We were having difficulty differentiating our products and services in a meaningful way. Larry conducted key market research and quickly developed a dynamic unique selling proposition helping us to successfully reposition our company. He showed us methods to include this information in creative marketing campaigns that gave us valuable new business. It was terrific!"
Gregg Kuzara
President
Staircrafter
"We have been extremely pleased with Larry Kirsch's consulting services to our company. He has assisted us in focusing in on our niche markets, as well as helping us with the pricing and packaging of our new products. Larry was extremely well organized, well prepared, and kept us very much on track during our consulting sessions."
Jeff Scholtz
President,
7.62 Design
"Thank you for showing us how to dramatically grow our sales with clear and easy to follow marketing tactics. You came in and quickly understood what we needed to accomplish and immediately helped us to create a marketing program that proved far more doable than we ever anticipated. The recent direct marketing campaign generated our biggest February sales in the history of our company."
Deanne Moore
President
Baja Designs
"Mr. Kirsch shows an extraordinary amount of diligence and dedication to the clients for whom he provides marketing consulting. I know him to be extremely meticulous, thorough, and efficient. One client nearly doubled their revenues within one year after instituting several of the programs designed and developed by Mr. Kirsch. Not only do we consider him to be an expert in his field, but we also know him to be extremely resourceful and insightful."
Ken M. Clark
Senior Business Advisor,
Small Business Development & Int'l. Trade Center
S.B.A. Sponsored Consulting Group
Kenton Oakes
President
Creative Industries
Manufacturer of Art Equipment & Supplies
"We were having difficulty differentiating our products and services in a meaningful way. Larry conducted key market research and quickly developed a dynamic unique selling proposition helping us to successfully reposition our company. He showed us methods to include this information in creative marketing campaigns that gave us valuable new business. It was terrific!"
Gregg Kuzara
President
Staircrafter
"We have been extremely pleased with Larry Kirsch's consulting services to our company. He has assisted us in focusing in on our niche markets, as well as helping us with the pricing and packaging of our new products. Larry was extremely well organized, well prepared, and kept us very much on track during our consulting sessions."
Jeff Scholtz
President,
7.62 Design
"Thank you for showing us how to dramatically grow our sales with clear and easy to follow marketing tactics. You came in and quickly understood what we needed to accomplish and immediately helped us to create a marketing program that proved far more doable than we ever anticipated. The recent direct marketing campaign generated our biggest February sales in the history of our company."
Deanne Moore
President
Baja Designs
"Mr. Kirsch shows an extraordinary amount of diligence and dedication to the clients for whom he provides marketing consulting. I know him to be extremely meticulous, thorough, and efficient. One client nearly doubled their revenues within one year after instituting several of the programs designed and developed by Mr. Kirsch. Not only do we consider him to be an expert in his field, but we also know him to be extremely resourceful and insightful."
Ken M. Clark
Senior Business Advisor,
Small Business Development & Int'l. Trade Center
S.B.A. Sponsored Consulting Group
How true. Real differentiation is the key - it's a noisy world out there! I like what you said about how companies sometimes "differentiate" in ways that THEY THINK matter, but that actually aren't important to their customer - to the companies' peril. Good research and honesty are vital.
ReplyDeleteWe saw a great example of a company confronting the truth about their market positioning in the recent Domino's Pizza commercials (there's a post about it at http://smallbusiness.aol.com/article/_a/dominos-slamming-its-own-product/20100120165909990001) - they've recognized that their USP was always convenience, and people overlooked the mediocre quality. At least they had the guts to tackle this head-on, and I'm very interested to see how they fare with the new campaign.
At any rate, I like the new blog, and I'm looking forward to seeing more!
Harley
http://www.orioncreativegroup.com
Harley,
ReplyDeleteGreat point about Domino's Pizza. A big part of their initiative was the marketing research they conducted to identify the weaknesses in their products. This is a key step for many companies looking to revitalize their brands and capture incremental growth. Unfortunately, many companies don't take the time and lose the opportunity for clear direction dictated by customer feedback.