Be Different or be dead

November 18, 2010

Why an aspiration can actually kill your ability to compete

Source: Unsplash

Why an aspiration can kill your ability to compete. Aspirations keep your head in the clouds even though results are achieved on the ground.

An essential component of building a business plan for your organization is declaring how you intend to compete and win against the competition.

This is all about deciding what you will do to convince targeted customers to do business with you and only you.

Unfortunately, most organizations come up with competitive advantage claims that describe what they aspire to do, rather than laying out detailed, specific and concrete reasons for people to buy from them as opposed to others

Meaningless claims like these pervade the marketplace:

▪️‘we provide the utmost in service and selection’

▪️‘we offer the best quality anywhere’

▪️‘we provide top notch service’

▪️‘we have been in business for over 50 years’

▪️‘we provide a wide range of services’

▪️‘we provide the best network in Canada’

▪️‘we are the most technologically advanced company in our business’

▪️‘we have people who care’

These types of statements might pass the helium-filled vision test, but they do little to stake out a claim that will communicate precisely what the organization intends to do to differentiate itself from their competition.

They do little to set customer expectations in terms of the behavior they should expect to see and the experience they should expect to enjoy. What exactly do they mean?

Every customer is likely to view the clams differently. Each employee would likely have a different definition of what each means; a big problem when it comes to delivering on the claim.

Consistency is required, not everyone doing what THEY think the claim means.

They are simply too general and at too high a level to be meaningful.

So, examine your competitive claims. Declare your position in compelling precise terms using the ONLY statement.

Leave aspirations out of the strategy room.

Get specific. Create a competitive claim that clearly articulates how you are different from the herd.

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

• Posted 11.18.10 at 12:00 pm by Roy Osing
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