“How many pet hotels have you worked with, hmm…?”

The category experience question comes up often in discussions about hiring business services professionals. Whether it be an architect, law firm, CPA or marketing agency, potential clients naturally want to know what you’ve done for others in their industry.

Tempted by Templates

Gaining experience serving one niche of clientele is a proven strategy for many service providers and this can allow them to scale services easier, especially when they can reach a large market base. In essence, these providers learn to apply common industry-wide applications of their specific services and repeat them for other clients in the same industry. Some may see this as a cookie-cutter approach.

The Secret of Brand Buckets

When a “niche specialty” approach is applied in marketing, clients are usually assigned one of about 6 or 7 repeatable branding categories. For example, if the agency niche specialty is banks, the client’s brand promise will always focus on one or more of these general themes:

• You’re a customer, not a number…
• Local decision making…
• Invested in the community…
• Supporting all your life’s stages…
• A financial partner you can trust…
• Big enough to serve, small enough to care…
• Banking your way, 24/7…

By interviewing bank representatives and customers, the niche agency can quicky figure out which brand bucket that bank belongs in, and a new campaign iteration emerges. Think about it. You’ve probably heard all that stuff in various campaigns from different banks all your life.

Rising from the Pack

Consider the marketing “generalist.” He or she has a track record of doing business in their own specialized field – marketing communications. They have delivered results to diversified clientele in multiple industries by learning about each one and applying a fresh creative approach to it.  This experience provides a wider vision lens on the whole market. We offer broad market knowledge to clients which the niche-focused companies do not.

Goals are seen from different angles and more creative ideas for achieving them can emerge. Coming from a broader business knowledge base, we can often create more distinguishable and attractive selling propositions. We add value with additional networking channels as well.

Would you rather follow a common marketing formula that may be shared with your competitors or your own customized, targeted marketing plan? While the former can show results, what are you really trying to achieve? What exactly do you want to be known for in your industry?

Custom or Commodity?

You already know what works for selling your products and services or you wouldn’t still be in business. By all means, keep following and repeating the sales and marketing formulas that work for you and your worthy competitors.

Now take your marketing a step further to outpace the average company in your field. This requires expanding your market reach with better messaging.

You can breathe new life into your business with a breakout marketing campaign and a commitment to following through.

The post Niche Specialist or Broad Market Leader? appeared first on Chuck Sink Link.

If you were once a salesperson and then become a business owner, the tables suddenly turn, and then you discover the real reasons people buy. You also find out what it’s like to get bombarded by those in your previous profession and why your past sales calls often went unanswered.

I’ve been in the same selling situation as the buying situation I’m in now. Having experience on both sides of the table offers me much deeper sales and marketing insights.

It’s a go!

Most recently I needed to procure services for a couple of client projects and had several pros in my network to call on. All have networked with me and marketed to me in similar ways, and I had no strong loyalties one way or the other. I made my selections and so far, so good.

Why did I choose whom I chose? What most influenced my decisions? In each case it was the strongest and most relevant brand impression left with me. The deciding factors were the suppliers’ focus on their relevant specialties along with my perceptions of their quality, personality and integrity.

Branding Matters!

This is why I always harp on branding. The most powerful brand elements reside in your head and mine! And when we take them to heart, we develop brand loyalty and know whom to call again and again for those needed services or products.

Brands have the power to open relationships! Your brand is only as strong as its recall impression. What does your brand stand for and why does it matter?

Need help with that? Call us and we’ll figure out the messaging that will make your potential customers realize it’s you they should call first.

The post Leave a Recall Impression appeared first on Chuck Sink Link.

Plenty of companies try to compete using the same keywords to describe their products and services on websites and promotions. They might try to differentiate by claiming the best customer service in the industry but so does everyone else. You’ve heard it, “Our service makes the difference!… We pride ourselves on providing the best customer service!… You’ll experience the difference our service makes…”  Sure, you might say, but how much does it cost? The point here is that your differentiation needs to be recognizably different, relevant and worth paying for.

An Exercise to Help You Differentiate

Avoid joining the chatter of your competition. Speak a differentiated language; one that’s native to where your best customers’ goals reside. You’ll want your website to be found in searches for certain keywords and phrases. Equally important is linking your own unique value message to those common industry terms. Let’s say for example that your business is an accounting firm or CPA office. Look at the keyword value association exercise below:

Notice how the right-hand column brings the keyword phrase into a uniquely valuable context for business clients. This exercise works well for manufacturers, financial services, product marketing and service companies alike.

Refresh Your Content with Relevant Value

Review your marketing content across the board and be sure to speak and write from your client’s perspective which sounds like, “problem solved, smooth sailing ahead,” instead of your company’s perspective – “we do all this and more….” When you put your messages in the right context, your audience feels a sense of comfort; that their need will be met or their problem solved.

When people shop, they generally don’t want a bunch of options thrown at them. They just want the best solution that works. Therefore, back up your keyword content with relevant messages that meet your customers’ goals and take care of their needs.

If you aren’t happy with current marketing & sales results, refresh your content from strictly your customer’s perspective and make every sales conversation about them instead of your company. You’ll sound refreshingly different and break away from your competitors.

The post Differentiate Your Keywords! appeared first on Chuck Sink Link.