Every day we’re pulled in what seems like endless directions.
Email. Text. Phone calls. Ads (with or without AdBlock). Pings. Memos. And it goes on and on. And we all receive messages differently.
Soon, if you’re anything like me, everything loses its feeling of priority. That “Look at me, look at me!” factor… it all blends in. It all becomes one in the same.
And the same goes for business. Standing out (or making your company the priority pick) against the competition is an ever-growing, ever-changing, uphill trek that few can endure, let alone win.
Recently at our agency, we realized that one simple exercise can help you remove all of the clutter of what you think makes you special. This exercise helps you get down to the dirty, sometimes hard-to-swallow truth of what makes you stand out (or keeps you from doing it).
Don’t. Won’t. Unable.
First as a disclaimer: you have to be willing to take a long, hard look at your business. And at your competitions’. This exercise takes time, a team and the truth.
Don’t
What does your competition currently not do (but could in the future)? What are they not offering as a service or experience that you currently do?
Example: Subway
Jimmy Johns doesn’t let you custom build your sandwich step-by-step as you order, but we do.
Won’t
What is your competition able to do, but either refuses to do and will not do because of some internal or external reason?
Example: Steak & Shake
McDonald’s won’t hire a wait staff to take orders from your table, but we do.
Unable
What is your competition completely unable to do right at this moment? It could be due to a lack of talent, a lack of resources, or a lack of seizing the opportunity. What do you offer that no one else is able to offer?
Example: Apple
Microsoft is unable to offer a music-streaming, purchasing platform that is as well received and performs like iTunes, but we do.
This is by far the hardest one to complete. What we realized as we went through this process is that as a marketing agency, most of us offer the same things (service-wise). The big differentiator came into play when analyzing what it’s like to work with us, and our client experience. It’s all about how we approach marketing.
Overall
The best thing about this exercise? It’s on-going, and rewards a healthy culture. We get to use these three words to help us better define ourselves and make our services and experience clearer to the buyer. And soon the rest follows (design, advertising, content, etc.)
As modern-day humans, we’re pulled in endless directions, and so are our businesses. So we have to be ready to stop, collaborate and listen… to what and why our business is different and better than the rest.
