In business, whether we want to admit it or not, we are always compared to our competition. Whether you are selling staffing, logistics, ice removal services, technology or food, our customers and potential customers compare us to others in the market.
So, how do you stand out?
First, let’s assume you do not want to stand out because you have the lowest prices. Selling based on having the lowest price is not a great strategy (unless you are Walmart). As I learned years ago, if you win a customer on price, you will lose that same customer on price.
You need to have a well-developed competitive advantage, and then continue to educate and train your staff to always demonstrate that edge.
I was reminded several times during the last week of how simple it is to stand out from competitors.
- We flew out of town last week and had to park our car at LAX airport. Previously, we parked our car at Company W and were completely frustrated with their lack of customer service. The shuttle van seemed to take forever to pick us up and when I called the phone number on my parking ticket to let them know we were waiting, I got stuck in voicemail purgatory. There was no way to speak to a human, so we waited quite a while (at midnight) to secure a ride back to our car. So, on this trip, we chose another parking location – Company S. While waiting for a Company S shuttle, I called the number on my parking ticket and actually got a human being! (I was already impressed). She confirmed my location, addressed me by name and gave me a realistic ETA of the shuttle. As the saying goes: She had me at hello! And here is the icing on the cake: as we were leaving the parking location, we were offered complimentary ice-cold bottled water. After a long trip and all the schlepping of the luggage, to get ice cold water – for free – left an incredibly positive impression. It didn’t take much for Company S to stand out from Company W, but the human touch won me over forever.
- During our trip, we dined at a lovely restaurant (it was in Whistler, British Columbia). My partner Jack noticed that we had silverware, but not napkins at our table. Our server Jeremy, said he would handle that for us. Nearby, I noticed a stack of folded white and black cloth napkins. He grabbed some of each color and let each of us choose the color of our napkins. If you’ve ever worn white jeans or black wool pants to a dinner and had a non-matching napkin, you know what a mess it can be on your clothes. What a small touch that made a big impression.
- When we returned from the trip, we stopped for dinner on our long drive home. Jack wanted to try one of the top-rated pizza places in a nearby city. While we were driving I did a google search of the two places he mentioned, and chose one, based on the photos and information on their website. When we arrived, I noticed one of the owners was near the entrance. I knew he was an owner, because his name and photo were on the website along with a short story about him. When I walked by him, I commented “you are one of the owners, right?” He said he was! As our meal was ending, Marcos (the owner) came over to us. Turns out, he is from New Jersey (just like Jack) and told us his philosophy of running the restaurant. He said our community didn’t have a “neighborhood pizza” place like he was used to in South Jersey. He told us it was important for him to work side by side with his team (the servers, the chefs, etc.) and to chat with everyone who dines there, so they feel like it’s a “neighborhood gem”. And I could tell his hands-on style was making a difference as every table was filled by 6:00pm and there was a line out the door. Needless to say, the food was also fresh, delicious and served quickly by servers who were personable, funny and friendly (just like Marcos).
When I owned my produce company, I remember my mother, Frieda (the founder) telling me that she wanted to personally meet every visitor to our building. It didn’t matter if it was a customer, a vendor or an inspector. I continued that tradition and always personally greeted all visitors for decades. I know it annoyed some of my employees that I insisted on being introduced, but I could tell how important it made every visitor feel. And that personal touch made a huge difference in our business relationships.
If you don’t have a building that people visit, then think about trade shows or business conferences. Is your CEO or owner there to greet and interact with your customers and vendors? Think about it from their perspective – they are THAT important that the owner of the company wants to shake their hand. What kind of message does that send?
It’s not really hard to stand out from your competitors. Think about what makes you feel good and important and just do that for others.
Onward and upward,
Executive Coaching and Consulting for CEOs, Presidents and Owners
If you are looking to grow your business or amplify your personal leadership skills, I would love to have a conversation with you. You can email me at [email protected] for a no obligation conversation.
