| |
| |
|
Attraction Information |
|
|
|
Are You Irresistibly Attractive?
If you've done any reading on the subject of marketing, you've certainly heard the term "Unique Selling Proposition" or "USP." As a reminder, your USP is what positions you in the marketplace --- are you, or what you sell, the best, the cheapest, the fastest, the easiest, the longest lasting, the most reliable, the most prestigious? Your USP is what makes you distinct from your competitors, but it's often the thing first-time business owners don't fully understand. Lara and I just started working together last month, and one of the first things we had to tackle was her USP. As a web site designer, she is part of a well-developed marketplace often competing with several other companies for every job. "I really don't know why they keep picking the other guy. It's so frustrating after I've worked so hard to get in the door in the first place. The only way I feel like I can get the job is if I underbid it, but I'll never be able to keep my business running that way." "Well, you're right," I replied. "You shouldn't have to lower your prices just to get every job. There are certainly web designers out there who are charging less than you, but there are probably an equal number of them that are charging more. So, if we assume that there are companies hiring your higher- priced competitors, then maybe price isn't what every prospect bases their decision on." "It sure has been for me. That's always the reason they say they didn't choose me. It makes me think that I'm going to have to lower my prices in order to get any work, but like I said, I'm not charging anything out of the ordinary. My hourly rate is at the market average as far as I can tell." There were a couple of issues that we explored during the rest of the conversation, including her pricing, her competitors, her target market, her mission, etc. But the one that really hit home was her USP. Up until this point, Lara didn't realize that she was the one forcing her prospects to make their decisions based on price. She was marketing using the Competition Model instead of the Distinction Model. In the Competition Model, your prospects see you as offering the same service as your competitors. In their mind, there is no delineation between what you and your competitors offer and how you offer it. So the only decision-making factor they are left with is price. If they think all web designers offer the same level of web site design, can complete it in the same time frame and will be equally professional, what's left? That's right ? price. Think about how you make buying decisions. If you are getting your clothes dry-cleaned every week and you think that the three local dry cleaners all do a decent job, will have your suits ready in two days, and are equally friendly or disagreeable, aren't you going to go with the cheapest one? But some dry cleaners pick up and deliver don't they? Some offer tailoring and mending services in addition to dry cleaning. Others set up shop inside large grocery stores, so you can knock out two errands in one stop. These things make them distinct from their competitors. There are people who will pay a little more in order to have their dry cleaning picked up. There are others that will pay a little more to be able to drop it off and pick it up at the same time they are buying their week's groceries. If you don't want to compete strictly on price, you've got to be DISTINCT from your competitors. That way, your prospects have something, besides price, to base their decision on. By emphasizing that distinction in your marketing efforts, you will naturally attract those prospects who value your distinction. And when you are Irresistibly Attractive, the sales pressure is off. You just go out there, show them who you are and what you can do, and they come to you! So how do you make you and your business DISTINCT and, therefore, Irresistibly Attractive? By creating your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). What makes you different than your competitors? Are you faster? Do you deliver better quality? Are you more responsive to their needs? Are you closer in proximity? Do you specialize in a particular industry? Take a moment to put yourself in the mind of your prospects. If you were hiring someone to perform your kind of service, what would you want? You can practice by thinking about your own buying decisions. If I was hiring someone to clean my house, I would want them to:
If I could find someone to do these things for $65, I would hire them. But, if I would have to sacrifice the quality of their work or their reliability in order to pay the lower price, I would go with someone else. It's important to me to have a clean house and to know that I can count on that person to show up on Thursdays before I have guests arrive on Friday. So, here's the process: When you review your materials, try to look at them with fresh eyes as a prospect would. After going through them once and making notes about the impression they set, go through them again specifically looking for the top two distinctions from your list. Do your sales materials/tools really bring your message home? Are your top 2 distinctions clearly emphasized in your materials? Are there things you need to add, omit, or revise in order to create your distinct impression on your prospects? Once you are communicating a very specific and consistent message about yourself and your business, you will find that you no longer have to sell. Business comes to you - and it's the kind of work you like that pays you what you deserve. About The Author Kimberly Stevens is the author of the ebook series, *The Profitable Business Owner: A Step-by-Step System for Starting & Running a Successful Service Business*. Download Sample Chapters & get her free MiniCourse, *The 10 Most Common Mistakes Business Owners Make & How To Avoid Them* at: http://www.askthebizcoach.com/ebooks.htm
MORE RESOURCES:
Attraction - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
9 Exercises to Enhance Your Self-Expertise Personal Self-Expertise is an invaluable tool that transforms the way you communicate in your business and personal lives. It functions as a front porch for two reasons: 1) It equips you with the confidence of knowing exactly who you are; and 2) It magnetizes others to you because they admire and respect those who know exactly who they are. A New Beginning With The People At Work There's a big opportunity here! The holidays bring a change in spirit in most folks. Even though they may be more tired than usual from all the demands of the season, they are filled with holiday cheer. Digging To The Root Of Your Problem Most people have some aspects of themselves that they would like to change. But how often do you dig deeply to find the root of the problem?You have to address the issues that need to be changed. Abundance Prosperity Based on Wallace Wattles and Napoleon Hill It is arguable that the definition of wealth is the free and unrestricted use of all of the things which may be necessary for you to advance in the direction of your dreams and aspirations thus attaining your fullest mental, spiritual, and physical prosperity.You have a right to wealth because it is simply a desire for you to have a richer fuller and more abundant life. The Real Secret of Attraction The secret of attraction is the unconscious hope for healing and understanding. This is why we are so discriminating in our choice of a marital partner. Four Steps to Attracting More Good Luck The Luck Factor rips apart the notion that luck is something that just happens. Dr. Ten Ways to Add Abundance To Your Mind, Your Life & Your World Abundance isn't something you find from the outside. Abundance begins within and radiates outward. My Eight Success Secrets These eight success secrets apply to anything you do in life, not just to doing business offline or online.First: LOVE is the foundation of everything--love for whatever you do and for others. How to Get Rich Got your attention, didn't I? I figured that title would get you to sit up in your chair and take notice. How to get rich? Hmmmm, let's take a second and think about how nice and wonderful it would feel to "be rich. Write Goals, Say Prayers, and See Your Successful Future Would you like to have more success in your life? Yes, I'm sure that you do! That being the case, I have an invitation and a challenge for you. Are you up for it? Okay, here we go?We are all multi-sensory beings, meaning that we all have the sensory connections through seeing, tasting, smelling, speaking, hearing and feeling. 5 Tips To Increase Your Personal Power 1. The most important one: Have at least one person in your life who is like-minded. A Lesson in Letting Go Do you hear yourself saying? When I have enough money, I'll.. How To Create The Life You Really Want Australians are losing their laidback, carefree reputation, as we continue to work longer hours, exercise less and neglect our leisure and family time. Recent research indicates that 67 per cent of Australian professionals spend at least 20 hours a week thinking about their job when they should be relaxing, and less than half take their entitled annual leave. Do You Have Tickets To Your Dream Theater? I'd like you to do an exercise with me.I want you to use your imagination to construct a dream theater. Change Your Story; Change Your Life When was the last time you told someone the story of your life? We don't come upon these opportunities often, but when we do, it's extremely telling not only about our perspective on life, but also about how the rest of our life will unfold! Who said crystal balls don't exist? Just listen to yourself talk, and you'll know all there is to know.What Our Stories RevealYou've heard and told your share of stories, chatting with moms at the kids' swimming lessons, sitting in the middle seat on a long flight, or in the chair at the beauty salon. Plug in with a Pupose! Imagine that each person on this planet carried with them a teaspoon of soil or rock from Mt. Everest. Successful Living: 9 Universal Laws 1. The Law of BalanceI got an email from a wise friend the other day who had this to say,"Whenever I am out of balance in one area of my life, I usually end up binging, (going to excess) in some other area of my life. Whose Life Is It Anyway? Whose life are you living? Are you living your dream or someone else's? How much of your life is being decided by someone else? Are you in a profession you dislike because it is expected of you? Do you engage in activities you would rather skip, simply because it is part of your "role" as a spouse or mother?What about you? Doesn't your opinion count? It is not only reasonable but mentally healthy for you to direct your own life.If you find yourself in a profession you do not especially like, try asking yourself the following question: If I were starting over in my career, what would I chose to do?Some people retire and, because they can do whatever they want, begin a second career. Living a Values-Based Life What is a values-based life? A values-based life is a self-capable life free of doubt or fear; a life that allows you to take risks, fulfill dreams, capture goals and live to your fullest capacity. Sound wonderful? It certainly is. Simple Truths for Change, Healing, and a Magnificent Life! Many people on the planet are realizing that the key to a healthier, happier and life of abundance can be distilled into simple truths. We live in a complex and cluttered world.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2008 |
