Be Different or be dead

August 9, 2010

An easy 6-step checklist to be different from your competitors

Source: Unsplash

An easy 6-step checklist to be different from your competitors.

Every business plan deals with how an organization intends to differentiate itself from their competition.

The ONLY statement should be the way to express your distinctive competitive position in the market. If you can declare yourself as “We are the ONLY ones that…..” the blur of non-unique competitve claims will fade away and your organization will stand clearly in focus to thrive and survive!

Your checklist to being the one and ONLY.

Your ONLY statement must:

✅ Address the high priority needs, interests, desires, secrets of your target customers. Being the ONLY one on something that doesn’t matter to your fans will achieve nothing. If it doesn’t matter to them you will talk about it at your own peril.

✅ Be true. Claiming you are the ONLY one at something that your customers don’t believe is deadly. Make sure you test your ONLY with your customers. In addition to getting feedback on it’s believability you are likely to get input to make your statement even better.

✅ Express value creation. Product flogging has a limited life. Unique value creation has longevity that is difficult to copy by others in the herd. Focus on the solution that is being provided and you are getting closer to the element of value.

✅ Be brief. If it takes you 2 pages to explain your ONLY position you’ve missed it. ONLY is a ‘nano-statement’ that shouldn’t require you to take a second breath.

✅ Be compelling. It has to have some WOW! emotional appeal to capture the hearts of your customers. Avoid being pedantic and terribly intellectual.

✅ Get employee juices flowing. ONLY is a war-rallying-cry of sorts. It defines the hill you are claiming and dares the herd to climb it.
Your employees have to FEEL what it says. What it requires of each and every one of them to win the battle.

The ONLY journey.

You need to be on it.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 8.9.10 at 12:00 pm by Roy Osing
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