So many businesses, so many competitors. So many conversations with small business owners around how to get the sale despite heavy competition. There are several factors you can control in your business – who you serve, how you serve them, how you price your services and the method of delivery, just to name a few.
So how do you make these operations and sales decisions? Do you do it the way everyone else around you does, or do you forge your own path?
I am floored by how many people I speak with who insist on doing things the way their industry has always done it. The exact same way all their competitors do it. They assert that a new idea should NOT be pursed: “it won’t work because that’s not the way it’s done.” Period. End of conversation.
Ok, then what’s your “unique value proposition”? Typical answer: we provide personal service.
Congrats, that’s what everyone else claims as well.
Take a hard look at your business. Even in super-regulated industries, there’s always a way to zig while others are zagging. What’s one tiny thing you can do differently, and for the betterment of your relationship with your client? Note – that “zig” must be customer facing and benefit THEM, not you.
Now, I’m not talking about making things free or super low cost – people know that a professional who is worth engaging is someone worth paying.
One way you can come up with your unique value is to examine yourself and your team and what capabilities you have – your tools. What are you underutilizing or not even realizing it has value? Make a list of all that you and your team have as “assets”.
Another approach is to examine what the competition is doing and what they’re NOT doing. What’s missing from their offerings or operations?
A third strategy is to ask your best prospects what they’d like to see from a service like yours, which no one is providing, or doing very well?
Finally, let’s all admit that it’s HARD to figure this out yourself. When we look in the mirror we see what’s in our heads, not how others see us. We never see the full picture – it’s impossible. So, stop going in circles trying to puzzle it all out by yourself. Seek the help of a small business consultant who becomes a virtual part of the team –communicating frequently and getting their hands dirty. That’s what I love about this role – I become vested in your activities and your results. I don’t stop thinking about your business when the Zoom Session ends.
Working through the Pumpkin Plan, honing your unique value is just one of the many tools and resources you have available to you. If you’re not sure what the Pumpkin Plan is, click here.
Clients who order my One Month Sweet Spot Deep Dive get a special tool – my proprietary Unique Value Worksheet. It’s something for you and your team to work on together to start digging into how to operate differently and create enticing offers to your best prospects. Only my clients get their hands on this resource.
I offer weekly and semi-monthly strategic consulting sessions, working steadily with you to clarify all that needs to happen to make your business consistently profitable and to help you feel that you’re living your best entrepreneurial life. As you can imagine, it takes more than a session or two, because building a successful sustainable business is not an overnight affair.
If you’re not ready for ongoing sessions, you can begin with a One Month Deep Dive. We work through 4 weekly sessions along a pre-set agenda for a definitive outcome.
It all starts with a simple phone conversation. Email me to schedule yours: susana@clearpathstrategy.com