Your differentiator should force a decision.
It should tell the market:
Choose our way or the highway.
And by highway, of course, I mean your competitors' dumb-ass way of doing things.
That's what makes a differentiator great.
Not being the best. Not caring for your customers. Not quality. Not personality. Not your team. Not anything your ideal customers expect from a business they pay.
You want something that makes them choose YOU.
But how do you know if your differentiator actually forces a decision?
Simple. Run it through the Opposite Test.
The Opposite Test
This is a relatively easy but powerful test β and one I do with every single client.
Running it is simple.
- Take your differentiator
- Write down its opposite
- Ask yourself: would anyone pay for the opposite?
If the answer is NO, you don't have a differentiator.
You're trying to prop up a basic expectation customers have of buying from anyone.
Let's look at a few examples.
Being the Best
Most B2B service companies, especially those in the industrial or manufacturing space, try to differentiate on being the best.
Let's run it through the Opposite Test:
- Our differentiator: Being the best
- The opposite: Being the worst
- Answer: No one would pay for the worst option
It doesn't pass the test.
Because no one in their right mind would actively search for the worst solution, the worst quality, or the worst business to work with.
Caring about our Customers
The next most popular differentiator is the claim that a business actually cares about their customers.
This one is so prevalent that a local tire repair shop is running ads on Hulu about it.
Their message: We're different because we care about our customers.
Let's run it through the Opposite Test:
- Our differentiator: We care about our customers
- The opposite: We hate our customers
- Answer: No one would pay for that
It doesn't pass the test.
No one in their right mind searches for a vendor that hates their customers, treats them like sh*t, and hopes they fail.
Go Beyond Expectations
Differentiators that fail the Opposite Test are not truly different.
They are basic expectations people have of giving businesses money.
Think about it.
Your ideal customers expect something from you when they pay:
- You'll provide excellent quality
- You'll care about their success
- You'll deliver on your promise
- You won't be a d*ck
- You'll deliver results
Proping those expectations up as differentiators communicates the wrong message:
We don't have a viable reason for you to choose us. We just do the bare minimum and hope you're not smart enough to notice it.
Ouch.
Your ideal customers aren't that stupid.
Give them a real reason to choose you.
Run your differentiator through the Opposite Test.
If it passes, great! You likely have a differentiator that can generate revenue.
If it fails, start again.
The success of your business depends on it.
Until next week,
#SassyJason out.
βπΌ