WHAT MAKES YOUR BUSINESS DIFFERENT FROM THE COMPETITION? By: Chiemeziem Wisdom Irondi

Have you at any time found it difficult to create a difference between your business and that of your competitors? If your answer is a big yes, you're not alone.

Do not make the mistake of thinking that you are the only one doing a particular type of business, selling a particular kind of product, or rendering a particular service.

If not the same, some businesses are providing similar services to the same set of customers that you know.

What does this show?

It shows that your business is surrounded by other businesses that may be exactly like yours or slightly different from yours.

You will struggle with sales and possibly lose customers if you do not device a means to be outstanding. 

This is where business intelligence comes in. You need to be able to make your business different from your competitors.

Be able to differentiate the price of your products, the design of packages, the business environment, and most especially, customer service relationships.

It's important to understand that your business has a lot of benefits to enjoy when it stands out from others. You will get huge sales, an increase in the number of customers that visit you daily, proper publicity, and general acceptability and recommendations.

I will be sharing five Tested secrets of the way to differentiate your business from the competition.

A lot of businesses have tried these secrets and that they have scaled up high within the competition surrounding them.

The first step in differentiating your business from your competition is to BE SPECIFIC IN YOUR PRODUCT AND SERVICE.

Selling the same thing that your competitors sell in the same industry gives you a slim chance of 1% in making sales. You must learn to be specific. For instance, if you tell the public that you sell clothes, it may not be specific enough to generate customers who may be consistent. Why? You are doing identical business with other people. Clothes are generals products. What if you streamline your products to maybe Children wears, female wears, male wears, or even pet wears? You are most likely to attract the right customers.

Everybody needs clothes for example, but the number of men that need clothes at a time and location may be higher than the women's. So, if a man needs male clothes, walks past your shop, and sees just "Clothes", he will not be interested in what you sell because you are not specific. This will also make it easy for customers to locate you and even refer you.

You cannot meet every need and you cannot provide every service.

Learn to be different by doing business differently. 

The second secret to Standing out of the competition is by Finding a Pain in the Customers' hearts and remedy it. Everyone out there and cannot be your customer and you should not bother trying to make everyone your customer. Think of a problem, take advantage of it and you will see your customers running to you without much hesitation. Even if there are no specific pains or problems, look for existing services or products and improve on them. Your ability to be creative and innovative can set you apart and make you stand out.

Be on the lookout for changes in society and customer behavior. If you capitalize on just one, you will end up creating a different market for yourself. 

The third secret is to be customers -centric. Over time, it has become a well-known fact that the customer is usually right. This is because every business that wishes to survive must be built based on putting the customer first. I know it is tempting to be full of praise for your business/service but this technique will bring negative results to your business. Customers are always looking for businesses that put them first and care about their needs. You will not be patronized because of what you sell, but because of the benefits, it has on the customers. So, your business is supposed to first focus on the customer. The more your customer likes the way you treat him to her, the more sales you will make and referrals you will have.

The fourth secret is to Utilize Social media platforms. Every business must stand out from the competition around it through effective social media management. The more online presence your business has, the more chances of success. 

In a previous post on What makes the customer powerful? I revealed that the power of the customer is not physical but digital. The reason is that all the businesses that sell the same product and render the same service as you do are online. The only advantage you have is to have a strong and influential social media presence. (A social media manager can help you achieve great social media results for your business).  Be unique in your application of social media as a tool for reaching your audience, marketing, and boosting sales. Hire a professional social media manager to help you in this part.

The Fifth secret is to cut costs and give freebies. People will buy from a cheaper business if the quality is good. You should not sell at the same price as your competitors because the chances of you making sales is 1 out of 100. When you reduce your price, you're likely to have more customers waiting in front of your office to get your products or your services. While you're still thinking of reducing costs, you can also add freebies. Freebies help to retain a customer. Maybe you can add a pen to the products bought or something more like an appreciation note saying, "Thank you for your patronage" Or simply give discounts. If everything about your product or service can be found in another business, you may soon go bankrupt. One way to be different is by reducing prices, giving freebies and giveaways. 

In addition to that, learn to include irresistible offers and promises to your customers. Make them trust you. Make them see you as being able to make things happen for them when you say you would. Offer them free shipping and a refund if anything goes wrong with the product within one year. Learn to also guarantee your customers. It makes your company trustworthy and dependable.

In your bid to stand out from the competition in your business industry, learn how to seek customers' feedback. This will help you to know where your business needs improvement. Your business exists because of your customers and if their opinions are not sought for, you may not know how to improve your business to meet their current needs. The best way to stay updated is to check out the pains and feelings of your customers.