What Nuances Differentiate Your Company?

B2B marketers are so used to talking about their products that they forget about what makes them unique to specific markets. You've got to get your marketing content refined down to nuances to attract prospects who will become buyers.

Why?

Because, unless you do this, you sound like every other vendor selling the same product or solution that you sell.

Seriously. Think about it.

Do you want to do battle based on feeds and speeds? Companies can spin numbers to say the same things—or better—than you do. Numbers, usually used without enough context for clarity, are funny that way.

Or, do you want to attract attention because your IP (read, expertise) knocks your competitors on their butts?

We've gotten to the point that products are a commodity. If nobody else has a product or solution that can compete with yours, you can move on to something else. But really, we all have competitors.

To stand apart, to distance yourselves from others, what's your secret sauce?

Each and every one of you has it or you wouldn't be in business. So what is it? Distill it down to its core and get it out there with your content. That's what attracts buyers.

They want to know why the value you provide is different—and better—than what anyone else they may consider will provide.

If you sound the same as everyone else, you're done.

So, what are the nuances you can claim?

It doesn't take much more than that. Focus on the nuances. Get specific, aim for those target audiences whose business results you can change.

I hear a lot that "we don't want to leave ourselves out."

Get over it. Right now.

Focus on your expertise. Share it. Help people think about what it means, how it can impact them—professionally and personally. With everything else under consideration, that's the draw.

Create a plan for how you evolve that story over time. Share it with the specific target market you can transform.

If you do this, do you know what will happen?

Others will reach out and say, "Hey, can you do this for me?"

And isn't that just where you want to be?

As a totally self-promtional plug, my book - eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale - talks about this topic in depth.

Comments

[Russ Henneberry]

Very passionate post. Thank you.

To stand apart, to distance yourselves from others, what's your secret sauce?

Well said and agree with the products are commodities statement. If you don't tell your story about your secret sauce someone else will tell their story and start gobbling up market share.

Marketing is about telling a story and we all have the publishing tools available to us to tell that story today. Nothing is stopping us.

[Annie Ogdon Cooley]

Great post. It is an excellent reminder to stay focused on the value your company adds to the industry. This is especially important to remember during the holiday season rush. The atmosphere of this time of year offers you a great opportunity to share your story.