Creating Your Uniqueness in the Market Place

By ActionCOACH David Beam

Mr. or Ms. Business Owner, I have an interesting question for you. How would you like to sell your goods and services and name your own price?

Does that even seem possible? If you don’t ask the question “How can I sell not based on price”, you will be always fighting the lowest price battle. You may say “Dave, that may work for some, but you don’t realize that our industry is completely price driven.” And I will respond and tell you why the customers in your industry are price focused. It is because you and your industry have not given them anything else other than price to consider.

It is true that if someone is going to make a purchase, they will want to know what it is going to cost. And if you don’t pose any other questions for them to consider, then price is what they will think about and how they will make their decision. Here is even a scarier fact. If you try to compete only based on price, you will have to sell a whole lot of stuff and attract a whole lot of customers to make a profit. That also means you need lots of cash, lots of inventory, probably lots of employees and lots of capacity. Are you really in a position to win the price game? If you really know your numbers and understand your cash flow, I think you will want to know how to market and sell your price.

A fundamental key to selling value is creating uniqueness. You must offer something that can’t be easily found anywhere else. If you provide a common commodity or service, this may be a challenging concept. What you must understand to thrive in business is that it is NOT merely the commodity or service that people buy. It is the whole experience of doing business with you. And you can create a unique buying experience. And when you are successful in consistently creating that experience, you can sell based on your price.

Perceived uniqueness drives the value up. Rare treasures are worth more than common goods. Here’s how to create your uniqueness. Start asking your customers about their frustrations when dealing with your industry. For example, one of my coaching clients provides medical physicians that make house calls! Think about it! No office waiting time, no hassle and cost with transportation to the doctor’s office. They provide absolute personal medical care in your home! How about a dentist that guarantees no pain and a happy office? Consider the home remodeler that always shows up exactly on time, stays until the job is finished, and always leaves the work area immaculate? How can you create an amazing unique experience for your customers? The answer to that question will lead you to your pot of gold.

So go for it. Start to ask how you can create that WOW experience for your customer that will get them talking to all of their friends and family – regardless of your price.