In retail marketing, they have a great saying. They say that your store should be worth crossing the street for. This means it should be so attractive that people will leave whichever shop they are in or stop whatever they are doing, to cross the street and walk into your place.
The retail outlets that are worth crossing the street for, made the decision to stand out. They worked at it. They invested in it. They took it seriously.
Conversely, the stores that blend into the background and slowly go broke, made the decision not to stand out. They copied what they saw the others doing. They didn’t take it seriously enough to do it correctly. They tried some advertising and played with their window display. They took free advice. They did the wrong things extremely well. As a result, the harder they worked, the more they became camouflaged among all the others, who made the same mistakes. They didn’t stand a chance.
Is your business worth crossing the street for?
When people compare your business to your competitors (and they do) are they prepared to cross the street? Does what you have to say , capture their attention and motivate them away from their current provider? These are important questions for you to ask and answer, if you want to grow a successful business.
Most small businesses struggle to get noticed, let alone project the kind of powerful impact, which attracts clients and customers. The thing is, there’s no need for this to happen to you. It’s a decision you make. If you don’t know how to stand out, you can either invest the time required to learn how to or hire someone who already knows.
The bottom line: It’s always your decision.