Member You - Business

Hiring for Success
Hiring someone new to work in your business is one of the most critical decisions a business owner makes, although it is not always given the justice it deserves. If a position is vacant, or additional staff are needed, recruitment decisions are often driven by the pressure to get someone in quickly, rather than waiting for the best person to fill the job. Lack of proper and systematic recruitment process can also result in a high cost to the business.The direct and indirect costs of this recruitment process are many, and have been estimated to be at least 30% of the new person’s salary on average:Recruitment costs – include advertising and agency fees (if used), travelCost of time – for everyone involved in the interview processCost of having the job unfilled -if the process is lengthyCost of lost productivity – “the show must go on!” Co

ors to offer the same.

The Internet makes it particularly easy for your competition to match what you offer – it’s easy to comparison shop online. So then it comes down to who’s got the better price…a losing proposition for everyone involved – including the customer. Eventually, you’ll no longer be able to afford to serve them, or will resent having to give away your services.

Choosing to be specific and narrow your offer takes courage, yet it’s how to stand out in your customers’ minds, and it lets you charge what your worth.

So how do you effectively differentiate your professional services? For approaches that really work, keep reading…

Taking a page from Jack Trout’s book, Differentiate or Die (John Wiley & Sons, 2000), here’s how to stand out from your competition:

1. Be First

Learn To Sell On EBay: For The Novice Beginners And The Totally Clueless!
If you’re going to learn to sell on eBay then what you sell is important if your desire is to make money. I’ve said this a gazillion times, selling information products is the slickest, quickest, easiest way to make money, online or off. The mark ups are astronomical - you are after all creating a product almost out of thin air.Electronic download means no packaging or delivery costs to speak of and makes it possible to create an automated income source that’ll produce good profits with the minimum amount of attention on your part.As far as income generation is concerned this is the equivalent of the Holy Grail. So why isn’t everyone climbing unto this bandwagon if it’s so good?Turns out that a lot of people figure they just can’t write; no way, no chance, no hope and are in fact petrified by the prospect. Somehow, faced with putting pen to paper or perhaps more accurately “keyboard to monitor” - some respond like a rabb

Sounds pretty harsh, doesn’t it? Well, I can tell you from personal experience with both my own business and with my clients, “differentiate or die” is not an exaggeration. Whether you’re a small one-person shop or a large government agency, solvency and the future of your business rely on you standing out in a competitive marketplace.

Everyone is vying for the same client dollars, whether your clients are consumers, other small businesses, major corporations, or federal agencies. Your target clients are overwhelmed with too much information and too many choices. The bottom line? You still need to stand out from the crowd.

Coined by Jack Trout, the father of “positioning” products and ideas in the minds of consumers, this notion is particularly relevant for professional service firms. The problem is that your clients have a choice…and they need your help to understand why to choose your firm over others offering similar services.

And just because you currently have a client, doesn’t mean they’ll stay. There’s a big difference between their satisfaction and commitment. Did you know that more than 40% of customers who claimed to be satisfied switched to a new service provider?1

Thinking strategically about how to move your clients from satisfied to committed is not discretionary. Differentiation is one of the most important strategic and tactical activities in which a professional service firm must engage.

For professional service firms, this is very tricky. It involves articulating the concrete value of something that, in your clients’ minds, is tough to quantify. Not only do you have to catch and hold their attention in the first place, you must demonstrate the bottom-line impact your services make in their lives. Differentiation will do that for you.

What Not to Do

Before we look at differentiation strategies that work, here are some to avoid:

Banking on creativity. Vague, artistic marketing messages are a waste of your target audience’s time. When it comes to building trust and confidence in your firm as the best solution to their problem, prospects want concrete, specific, direct information. Don’t make them work too hard to understand your message.

There’s a lot of fuzzy, ineffectual marketing going on out there under the guise of being creative. Don’t be seduced by the poetic or beautiful. Do keep your eye on clearly sharing information without burying it underneath creativity.

Pricing yourself into extinction. Don’t become a commodity by lowering your price to be different. When clients choose your firm over others because of price, your value fades and you’re no longer unique.

The one way to differentiate yourself using price? By being the most expensive! Price becomes an inherent benefit by portraying prestige and quality. This is easily true of products (think Rolex, Louis Vitton) and is equally true for professional services (think high-end, private medical practices; financial advisors who work only with “family offices” of the wealthy).

Doing it all. Trying to be all things to all people (“our firm offers a wide range of practices”) is the worst way to be unique. Not only do you overwhelm prospects with choices, you make it easy for your competitors to offer the same.

Choosing to be specific and narrow your offer takes courage, yet it’s how to stand out in your customers’ minds, and it lets you charge what your worth.

So how do you effectively differentiate your professional services? For approaches that really work, keep reading…

Taking a page from Jack Trout’s book, Differentiate or Die (John Wiley & Sons, 2000), here’s how to stand out from your competition:

1. Be First.

Make The Right Hire
How many times have you had an employee quit and then immediately feel desperate to fill the slot that was just vacated? Unfortunately, it's an all too common occurrence in today's workplace. There are a number of things you can do to help you get through the trying times while hiring a replacement but there is also the danger of hiring just about anyone that walks through the door just to get the job filled. Don't do this! Rapid Culture Change is Possible
Purpose: Show how immersion leadership training makes strategic initiative success possible.Adults learn through experience. We learn behaviors through experience. This is the flagpole fact of the educational world. This flag is visible for everyone to see, and it’s where educators know they need to be whether they are training hard or soft skills. Deborah Solomon Reid of Tuck School of Business strikes a bell to be heard by anyone considering this most fundamental element of adult learning. “While conceptual learning is important, the major leaps forward—these so-called ‘aha!’ moments when mental maps are rearranged—are most likely to happen when students encounter these theories experientially.” The widespread use of experiential training in the development of the soft skills of leadership and teamwork can transform individuals and your organization.The question is, “What transformation do you want?” What end state do

catch and hold their attention in the first place, you must demonstrate the bottom-line impact your services make in their lives. Differentiation will do that for you.

What Not to Do

Before we look at differentiation strategies that work, here are some to avoid:

Choosing to be specific and narrow your offer takes courage, yet it’s how to stand out in your customers’ minds, and it lets you charge what your worth.

So how do you effectively differentiate your professional services? For approaches that really work, keep reading…

Taking a page from Jack Trout’s book, Differentiate or Die (John Wiley & Sons, 2000), here’s how to stand out from your competition:

1. Be First

Name badges – Having a More Effective Business Event
Name badges – Having a More Effective Business Event If you’re planning an event – then you need to be recognized.It's not an event without name badges or lapel stickers. Name badges and lapel stickers are usually available on rolls or sheets. Name labels on rolls are great when you need to hand write names. Name badges on sheets are printed with custom design - you can add names by hand on matte stock. Lapel stickers look great printed on gloss stock. Using name badges and lapel stickers can be a very cost effective method in getting the personal exposure you need to succeed at business events.A Few Suggested Uses for Name Badges:Trade Shows Business Networking MeetingsSeminarsPresentationsWorkshopsBusiness ConferencesChamber of Commerce MeetingsSales Meetings Name Badge / Lapel Sticker Formats:<

h creativity.

Choosing to be specific and narrow your offer takes courage, yet it’s how to stand out in your customers’ minds, and it lets you charge what your worth.

So how do you effectively differentiate your professional services? For approaches that really work, keep reading…

Taking a page from Jack Trout’s book, Differentiate or Die (John Wiley & Sons, 2000), here’s how to stand out from your competition:

1. Be First

Free Marketing Tip #5: Get Out and Speak
Have you been to a networking event, or a conference or industry meeting lately? If you have, chances are you heard a presentation. Someone got up and spoke to you and the rest of the group about a topic. A topic they knew a lot about, and a topic related to their business. They may have even made a special offer to the group, such as a special product or service package they don't usually sell, or a special discount on their products or services.These people are using speaking as a marketing tool ... as a way to get the word out about their business, products or services. They're doing this by sharing valuable information with the kind of people they can best help, and those they'd like to have as clients. And by offering everyone the chance to go deeper by making a purchase, or joining their email list, or some other offer to bring them into the fold of their business.If you're a small business owner or independent pr

ors to offer the same.

Choosing to be specific and narrow your offer takes courage, yet it’s how to stand out in your customers’ minds, and it lets you charge what your worth.

So how do you effectively differentiate your professional services? For approaches that really work, keep reading…

Taking a page from Jack Trout’s book, Differentiate or Die (John Wiley & Sons, 2000), here’s how to stand out from your competition:

1. Be First. A good strategy, if you’ve got a really good idea. If you’re there first, anyone copying you later will just reinforce your value. Takes a lot of stamina to pull off and sustain.

2. Own an Attribute. Things like speed (H&R Block’s fast refund) and the “experience” (a spa environment in a cosmetic dental practice) are attributes. The key is to keep it simple and focus on one or two words that describe your differentiating attribute. If someone else in your niche owns it already, it’s not yours to claim.

3. Lead. If you really are #1, proclaim it! Being number one can take many forms…you can lead on sales (#1 on your local business journal’s list of top firms), you can lead through technology (the fastest digital printer in town), and you can lead through performance (ranked #1 by satisfied customers for five straight years).

4. Use Heritage. Having a long history makes people feel secure. If your firm has been in business for 10 years, celebrate it! Likewise, “locational” heritage can make you stand out. Think perfume and wine from France. Government contracting expertise from Washington, DC. Safari travel planning from a long-time resident of Africa.

5. Pick a Specialty. A natural for professional service firms, this is all about being an expert. A simple example is my company, TurningPointe Marketing. We help professional service firms (not retailers, not consumer products companies, not the auto industry) attract more clients. A great way to differentiate, unless there are a lot of others pitching the same specialty.

6. Be Preferred. Do moms prefer your daycare services over others? Does the federal government prefer to work with you because you offer a discount? Does your local city magazine rank you as a preferred pediatrician? Third-party endorsements are worth their weight in gold – if you can get them, they’re a great way to stand apart.

7. Use a Different Approach. Do you make house calls? Does your firm offer untraditional hours of service? Think about what your ideal client really needs that others aren’t offering, then do it.

8. Be the Latest. Technology companies have this nailed – every year a faster chip or bigger system replaces last year’s model. Can your salon offer the newest advances in skincare? What about the latest approach to data security? Whatever it is, make sure it solves a real problem, doesn’t mess with tradition, and truly is a better solution.

9. Be Hot! If you just got a great review, an industry award, or your story covered in the press, leverage it. This also works if you’re solving a problem or aligned with a good cause. The key is to be truthful and to spread the word quickly.

How do you know which strategy to go with? Look at the market context of the moment. If other firms “own” a certain differentiator already, don’t go there. Pick something else. Then offer your proof and communicate it broadly both on- and offline. It’s about being logical first, creative second. Do this consistently, and you’ll clearly stand out in the crowd.

Helping professional service firms attract more clients, stabilize their business and take their practice to the next level.

1 Trout, J. (2000). Differentiate or Die. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

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