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10 Ways to Make Your Professional Practice or Business Stand Out
From the Crowd
(c) 1999 Dr. Sheldon D. Nix, Ph.D. All rights reserved.
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You offer a great product or service, right? :-)
Chances are, you are not alone...unique...the only one offering the
products and services you offer. So how do you stand out --
differentiate yourself from others?
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10 POWERFUL DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES
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1. SPECIALIZATION. Pick a well-defined niche of clients or
issues you are good with AND that you have opportunities to reach.
A niche you can't reach...can't pay you. List out all the various target
groups you might like to reach and then rank them first in order of your
desire to work with them and then (going across) in order of how easy
it would be for you to reach them.
For instance, at The Successful Practice Institute at Eastern
College, we help PROFESSIONALS in private practice or with
a business. That rules out a lot of business people, which is
okay, because we can REACH professionals. They "hang out"
in their various specialties both online and off, and we can offer
practice-building help just for them. However, lots of other
small business people "lurk" on our newsletter because many of
our strategies and tools will work for any business. But we don't GO
AFTER our non-target groups.
2. QUALITY LEADER. If you aren't the only one, at least be
the BEST at it -- and known for being the best. This strategy requires
not only competence but also lots of public relations. You have to
create "buzz" about yourself. You have to get on talk shows, be
quoted in the media, write articles, etc.. Referral/word of mouth
marketing will also help here as clients and customers talk about you.
3. PICK A GREAT NAME. If you're clever, your name will help
you stand out. You can name your firm or business itself in a way
that stands out, or a service you provide, like "The 30-Day
Financial Recovery Program" which INSTANTLY tells people
what they'll get and how long it will take.
4. AFFINITY POSITIONING. Aligning yourself with a
well-defined target group is a great idea. It helps to build instant
trust. Let's say you've gone from being an accountant to consulting
with accounting firms on some aspect of the business. You can
describe yourself as "From an accountant who's been there, done
that, and knows exactly what to do now." Or, if you offer a business
opportunity, it would be great to reach the people who do the kind
of J.O.B. that you do every day, and show them how it fits what
they already know to do.
5. JOINT VENTURE. Establish as many partnerships
as you possibly can. The internet makes that easy. Just tonight
I sent an email to someone with a large newsletter list suggesting
he sell my 6-Figure Practice Blueprint, and I sell his main book
or video package for 50% commission. It's not the hassle of
an affiliate program but it could mean a quick few hundred
dollars for both of us.
6. METHOD OF DISTRIBUTION. You can stand out by
HOW you deliver your products or professional services. If
you deliver consultation over the phone, or just-in-time desktop
computer training, or personal home visits as my masseur does
(so much more convenient, especially AFTER the massage
when I'm ready to go straight to bed and often do!), those are
things you ought to emphasize.
7. CONTINUITY/MEMBERSHIP. In the U.S., the
"Book-of-the-Month Club" made continuity programs famous.
People would usually get 4 books for $1.00, then they would
receive a book a month for a certain price. What was nice
about this is that you sell people ONCE, then they keep paying
you every month. This is residual income without a MLM
format (which you may or may like). Access to a members-
only website is a great way to do this strategy online.
Of course, you've got to have lots of value on that site.
The Warriors, Cookie Cutter, Wilson Web and many others
are making lots of money with this concept (our Institute also).
8. FULL-SERVICES. Think of what you sell as "problem
solving." Your product or service solves a problem people
have. Too many Internet marketers are trying to sell either
ONE thing or a HODGE-PODGE of things.
Here's a better idea. Offer EVERYTHING your prospects
need to solve the problem you solve. If it's internet marketing,
then offer books, links, resources, software, everything dealing
with net marketing. If it's building a business, then offer not just
the latest "hot" book, but consulting, teleclasses, directory of
specialists, legal forms, templates -- everything
entrepreneurs need to build their business. What you can't
offer yourself you can get others to offer (for a percentage of
their fees).
9. INNOVATION. One key strategy is to offer clients or
customers very innovative approaches to solving their problems.
In this strategy, you would be known as offering people the
very latest approaches to reaching their goals, and can position
yourself against the competition by saying something like,
"We don't give you the same tired old answers. We give you
the absolute latest and best approaches to...based on our
continuing research and experimentation...etc., etc.."
10. LOW PRICE. This one's tried and true, but only when
price really matters. Frankly, I'd suggest using this one
LAST, because it's hard to make significant income with
very low-priced items.
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SO WHAT DO I PICK?
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Wow! Big question. Here are 3 quick guidelines.
1. Which strategies felt like the EASIEST to do? Take the path of
least resistance. Do anything that will be both effective and easy
to do. Do the harder stuff -- if ever --
once you have a steady, high income.
2. Which strategies felt like YOU -- the person you are trying
to express in your profession or business. I put a high value on
personal integrity, on being true to your real Self, not merely
chasing dollars and clients.
3. Which strategies do your CLIENTS or CUSTOMERS
WANT? If they could design their perfect product or service in
your area of specialty, would they want? Write THEIR wish list.
Then see which of those you want to do and feel you can do.
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Dr. Sheldon Nix, Ph.D. Director, The Successful Practice
Institute at Eastern College
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