As we move into 2014 and beyond, it is more important that ever for your Springfield based small business to stand out from the crowd. With Google search engines ever present at our fingertips, it is simple and easy for a potential customer to find out everything about your product or service. Not only can a potential client find out about you, but you are now competing with businesses around the globe if a local presence isn't necessary to deliver what you're selling.
In an increasingly difficult business environment, it is more important than ever for your business to stand out from the crowd. Enter the Unique Selling Proposition (USP). What is a USP? Simply put, a USP is what makes your product or service different from every other competitor out there.
Let's look at our accounting business as an example. We prepare tax returns accurately. We provide traditional accounting and bookkeeping services that allow our clients to focus on what they do best. We help small businesses navigate the ever changing regulatory environments. We consult with start up businesses to help them get off on the right foot. That list looks like every other accounting service offerings you've ever seen, right? So how do we (and how can you) go about differentiating our services? There are a few options available:
Niche Focus
One way we go about differentiating ourselves from the slew of other accountants is by focusing on specific business types and professions. We're not to the point where we only serve one industry, but we focus on serving service businesses and professionals. Not only do people search out experts in their niche, but as a professional it is easier to become a master of a few skills rather than a jack-of-all-trades.
If you are a landscaper, maybe you focus your niche on high end commercial design and build projects. Instead of offering mowing, irrigation, and maintenance, you've set out to be the best design and build landscape contractor in the Springfield, MO area.
Maybe you are a plumber and instead of proving every service under the sun, you focus on emergency issues for local commercial businesses.
The point isn't to turn work away. The point is to become the go to expert in one area of your field.
Service Delivery
Another way you can differentiate your product or service is by how you deliver to the client. Maybe you will be known for your professional attire and attention to detail at your customer's house. Maybe you will offer a response time within 24 hours. The point is to find something unique to your offering and make that a differentiation point from your competitors.
In our business, we try to do this in a few ways. Instead of just speaking with you at tax time, we try to create a year-round relationship to be available for your financial and accounting questions as they arise.
Another area of differentiation is that we do not charge by the hour. All of our fees are known up front and many clients are on a fixed monthly pricing agreement.
We utilize technology to serve our customers needs. We're always evaluating the latest in cloud technology to help our clients save time and increase production. Instead of always looking in the rear view mirror, we try to help our clients plan for the future.
There are a myriad of ways to differentiate your service or product offerings. The examples from our accounting firm was to get you thinking about ways that you can stick out from the vanilla crowd (i.e. your competition).
How have you had success creating a unique selling proposition? What makes your product or service different from your competition?