Make Your Business Stand Out by Standing for Something

Opening a business in today’s world involves more than just offering a product or service. Competition is stiff, no matter which industry you choose. People are opting for self-employment and business ownership more than ever before. Sometimes it seems like everything has already been done.

You need to compel people to choose your product or service over any other—and with all of the competition that can become a real challenge. It can even become a serious obstacle.

It’s difficult to explain to people why they should select your business instead of the one next door. If you want to do that, you need to know what makes you stand out.

To Stand Out, Know What You Stand For

To know why your business stands out from the competition, look what you—and your business—stand for. Convey your business position clearly and distinctly to potential clients. Influence their decision by showing them your position.

Customers don’t care that you’re the best. Everyone is the best these days. Look around. Read the store signs you pass or the websites that you surf. “High quality! Top services! Best, best, best…!”

Being the best doesn’t turn heads any more. You have to think deeper than that, and differentiate better than that.

Better Than the Best

These days, you have to show people why you’re the best. Convince them of the qualities that make you a better choice for their needs.

Most likely, whatever product or service you’re selling isn’t essential to basic survival. People probably don’t really need what you sell – but they have to want it. You have to appeal to their higher emotions. Make them want what you have to offer through your business position.

Think back to the reason why you wanted to start your own business. You may have had a negative experience with a service or bought a low-quality product. You might have thought to yourself, “I can do better than that.”

That’s a start. But that’s not enough to attract potential customers. You can’t assume that your customers have had the same experiences you have.

What Are Your Values?

People need to know the advantage in picking your business over someone else’s business that offers a similar product or service.

That takes some thought. Are you a better choice because you go a step further? What is that step? Why is that important to your customer? What difference can you make in a customer’s life or business?

Are you a better choice because you have core values and strong ethics? What are they? Why do they matter? Why should they matter to your customer?

Step back from your own business. Imagine that you’re the one making the choice between you and the competition. Why would you decide to work with your own business over the next? What makes you different?

Answer these questions for yourself, and you’ll be a lot more confident with introductions and sales.

Answer them for other people, and they will be a lot more interested in what you’re selling.