The Truth About Standing Out In A Crowded Market Place, Being Different And Unique

"I'm stuck because I don't know how I'm different" said one of my private clients during an online retreat to build a global brand that is loved and sells a ton at the same time.

That took us to an exploration of being different, uniqueness and standing out in a crowded market place for people like us who have a business based on our knowledge, information and expertise.

These are some of the juiciest pieces of the standing out puzzle:

Being different is...

... essential if you have a product.

BUT...

It's hugely overrated for businesses like ours based on our expertise.

Let me give you an example, if you have two products that are perceived as "the same", price suffers.

Why would I pay more for something that is the same?

In the case of a service professional, when was the last time you hired a dentist just because they were different?

It's not necessarily different what we will be looking for.

Having said that, you'll discover sooner rather than later what is different about your brand as you move forward. When you are in action, you start to notice things. (Just don't expect that to happen the first day).

When we obsess over "being different", we miss on something much more important...

Being unique

Being unique is guaranteed because we are all unique human beings, with unique experiences and strengths.

However, that's not enough.

Our brand needs to be perceived as unique.

There are several ways of making that uniqueness visible...

AND...

Let's start with one for today: your story.

We are not talking about your complete life story. We can zoom in into the story of how you came up with your unique solution for the real problem your brand solves.

A note on authenticity

Standing out

On Sunday my husband was watching some movie trailers and that gave me a perfect example.

What makes your brand and your business stand out is this formula:

Promise + Positioning

One of the movie trailers was for a new Disney movie. As soon as I saw the Disney logo, I knew the kind of promise that movie was making.

It was not "different". It is Disney. It's new but Disney.

There were French romantic movies, German movies, American movies in the mix.

AND...

The perfect example of what not to do...

There was this movie where the whole message was about the director and how his movies are "forever" (whatever
that means).

The scenes where disjointed and I was not getting the promise for my investment of time.

Then, they decided to add: "cinema can be minimalist".

Wow! I was more confused than before.

Make sure that your brand promise is clear to your audience and you position it to be seen, respected and chosen by your best clients. (See the resources below for more on building a strong brand and positioning it right).

NEXT STEP

Take yourself out of the equation. (When we think that we market ourselves, we sell ourselves, everything becomes about things that have nothing to do with anything. Business suddenly means failing or succeeding as a person, proving something, etc.).

Now, start looking at the real, serious problems your business solves and the promises it makes.

Till next time, remember... your awesomeness and uniqueness are portable. You can take them with you anywhere.

With love
Ana

Resources 

How To Boost Your Brand To Attract High-Value Clients Even If Nobody Has Heard Of You
https://anarosenberg.com/brand-for-clients

Small Business Growth – Why Don’t They See The Real Value Of What I Offer?
https://anarosenberg.com/small-business-growth

What’s The Best Positioning For Expert Brands?
https://anarosenberg.com/best-brand-positioning