Small business owners lose out on sales or new clients all the time, because of a common and costly marketing mistake. In today’s post, I want to show you how to stop this error from hurting your business.
A common and costly problem
Think about it:
- If only they knew how amazing your business is, you would have more great clients.
- If only they knew how amazing your business is, you would be able to charge what you are worth.
- If only they knew how amazing your business is, you would escape the feast and famine cycle.
- If only they knew how amazing your business is, you could look to the future with confidence.
The challenge here is that in the vast majority of cases, small business owners are lousy at getting that message across. You need to avoid making the same mistake.
Here’s a great place to start.
It’s time to get specific
Explain what makes your business stand out. Highlight the benefits of working with you, rather than an ‘average quality’ alternative provider. Showcase your unique strengths.
General marketing claims like, “we try harder”, “we go the extra mile” and “our service is second to none”, don’t work. Everyone makes those generic promises. By repeating similar claims, your message gets lost in an ocean of predictable marketing.
If you want your marketplace to know how truly superb your business is, you need to transition from generic — to specific. A powerful way to do this is to provide supporting information for your claims. Show them, specifically, what makes your business a better proposition for them.
For example, almost every business claims to offer great customer service. You can rise above the noise and get noticed, by showing prospective clients how you invest in customer service training. You can show them the additional opening hours you provide. If you have customer service awards, showcase them in your marketing.
When people finally see just how amazing your business is, you will find you attract the best clients, the best fees and the most rewarding projects.
The best kept secret
You don’t want to be the best kept secret in your industry. It’s frustrating to know you are better than other providers, who are more commercially successful then you. This is why you need your marketplace to know who you are AND that hiring you or buying from you makes perfect sense.
This is a function of marketing… effective marketing, to be exact. It’s about knowing who your ideal client or customer is and then crafting a powerful message, which you motivate them to read or listen to.
If you make that message [or story] remarkable enough, they will tell their friends about you too.
Tip: You may find this useful: Be the first. Be the best. Be remarkable.