What's the Difference?

“But we’re different.”

I hear this from clients all the time. I think it’s great. A business owner can’t succeed unless he has that attitude. And it’s my job to help them define that difference, and then let potential customers know that experiencing that difference will make their lives better.

And that’s usually where my challenge lies. In response to the above declaration, I’ll ask, “Okay, how are you different?”

“We have great customer service… We have a wide selection… We have 0% financing… We’re open Saturdays… We’re the biggest… Our expert staff is professionally trained…” I’m sure that’s all true, but everyone has that stuff. And while you may actually have the best customer service, no competing business would ever admit they didn’t. And besides, every customer has his or her own idea of great customer service.

Lately, I’ve taken to playing a bit of a game with a few of my more understanding clients. When we’re trying to find a unique selling point for their advertising, and we get to talking about things that set them apart, I often counter with a couple very simple “customer questions:” So what? and Why? to help bring the picture into clearer focus.

For example, Me: “What do you guys offer that no other mattress supplier in the area has?”

They: “The Springless Supercoil 2000.”

Me: “So what?”

They: “So, it’s the best mattress on the market!”

Me: “Why?”

They: “Because it responds to a person’s sleep cycle, and offers support based on an individual’s body type.”

Me: “So what?”

They: “So, whoever uses this mattress will get a better night’s sleep, cause they won’t be tossing and turning trying to get comfortable. The mattress knows how you like to sleep.”

Eureka. Now we’ve uncovered a unique selling point that’s pertinent to the customer. Instead of just saying, “We have a great mattress, come shop here,” we now have a reason why you need to get this mattress -- in a way that's meaningful to the customer. From here, creating an effective ad campaign is a snap. Maybe something along the lines of:

“I know you’re not getting enough sleep. I know you spend night after night tossing and turning, sometimes lying awake for hours, going through your days sore and unrested. But I can fix it. How? Because I’m the Springless Supercoil 2000 mattress, and I’m designed to respond to your sleep cycle and your body type. Need more support? I’ll give it to you. You’ll sleep long, and you’ll sleep hard. Eight hours? No problem. Take nine or ten, if you like. You’ll wake rested, and you’ll feel better. Because I’m the Springless Supercoil 2000, and I know how you like to sleep.”

Does that mean that once this ad starts running our mattress shop is gonna throw open their doors and thunderous herds of poorly rested shoppers will be lining up to get their good night’s rest? Not quite. There are other factors that contribute to the success of an ad campaign… where to run the ad, how often, how many months, etc. But we have defined what our fictional mattress shop has to offer (Springless Supercoil 2000), who can use it (the unrested), and why they benefit (individualized support).

So what, you ask?

Tellya next time, wise guy.