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38 | NOVEMBER 27, 2013 BUSINESS FLATHEADBEACON.COM

BUSINESS IS PERSONAL Mark Rifey

Standing Out Is The Real Work

H
used anti-virus software prior to this OW DO CUSTOMERS AND age deployment and delivery. Not just you’ll always be ahead of your industry’s
episode. He said “I don’t know, I just sell prospects look at you vs. others the speed, but little touches related to “best practices” curve.

them a product and I’m not a retailer.”
in your industry?
ramp up, appointment management, Don’t be shy about reminding your
If that isn’t a positioning problem, I For example:
packaging, follow up, etc.
clientele that you’re the one who started
don’t know what is.
• What are your competitors best For example, 10 years ago, only the doing that little thing for your clients
known for? Why do customers choose best plumbers would slip little white that everyone else has inally started do-
ANYONE OR THE ONLY ONE?
them rather than everyone else in your Tyvek booties over their boots when ing, much less informing them when you
Anyone can “just sell a product” or industry – including you?
they entered a client’s house. This sent add new things.
take an order. If that’s all you do, you • How does your competition’s “best a then-unique signal to the homeowner

can be replaced with an online shopping known” thing compare to what you’re that the plumber cares enough to ad- WHY SHOULD THEY CHOOSE
cart. Even if your product is unique to best known for? Why do customers dress a common complaint of repair YOU?
you, “just selling a product” is poor po- choose you rather than everyone else in people – that they track in dirt/mud and The classic marketing question is,
sitioning.
your industry?
leave without cleaning it up.
“Why should someone choose you over
It takes a special business to be the •How are those two “best known” Today, it’s unusual not to see the all other competitors, including buying
go-to vendor that a client turns to when things diferent?
booties – but that’s a good thing.
nothing at all?”
they need advice. “I don’t want them Is it the products you carry? Or do To help answer that question, you’d
contacting me about every little thing,” your products primarily come from the LEADERS GET COPIED
better have a story that helps people un-

you might say.
same manufacturers as your competi- In the short term, you should expect derstand why you do what you do the
Actually, you do.
tion?
your smarter competitors to copy the way you do it. It’s important to set this
If you’re the one regularly providing •How about the services you ofer? little details you implement – particu- context because the story helps them
them with valuable info that helps them Are they the same or similar to what larly the easy ones. Leaders get copied. learn why they should use you and no
improve and protect their business, your competitors ofer?
Keep paying attention to the little de- one else.
you’ll become their expert. You’ll be the Beyond the products and services tails that your customers appreciate and Last week, I was talking to a soft-
one they turn to when they need advice you sell, how much efort are you put- keep adding new ones. Tip: The details ware guy whose clients got infected by

and when they need help - such as prod- ting into distinguishing what you’re that look like a lot of work will be the an email virus.
ucts and services.
best known for? If you want to stand out, things your competitors are least likely He noted that they’ve changed their
You can take orders and be anyone, these things require serious thought to clone.
policies to scan for viruses in their email.
or you can be their only one.
and efort on a regular basis.
You should expect some of these I mentioned that it was surprising that
little touches to become your indus- email scanning would be new behav-
HOW DO YOU STAND OUT?
try’s “best practices.” In other words, ior. His reply: “They’re a small company
Want to learn more about Mark or ask One thing that businesses use to dif- your average competitors will do some and this is the irst time they’ve been at-
him to write about a business, operations ferentiate themselves is how they man-
of them – and that’s OK. When you’re
tacked.”

or marketing problem? See Mark’s regularly focused on This surprised me, so I asked if this
site or contact him via email at things that make company had ever heard of anyone get-
[email protected].
you stand out,
ting a virus via email before, and if they