There are many competitors in each trade business sector. Some businesses have a unique offering – but most are just the same as everyone else. Trade business differentiation is really important if you want people to choose you over your competitors.
How can you be different?
If you offer the same as everybody else in the market, you are not giving your prospective customers a reason to choose you over your competitors.
You need to find something unique that is appealing to your customers, something that is compelling and that ticks all their boxes. It could be a niche market you operate in, it could be a benefit you provide, it could be a unique guarantee.
Your unique offering, (called a USP or ‘Unique Selling Proposition’ by marketers) is the thing that differentiates you from the Sea of Sameness.
Crafting a USP will dramatically improve the positioning and marketability of your business by accomplishing 3 things for you:
Unique – It clearly sets you apart from your competition, positioning you as the logical and best choice.
Selling – It persuades someone to hand over their money for your service.
Proposition – It is a proposal or offer suggested for acceptance.
A great way to get your head around this is to look at what other companies do – even if they aren’t in your industry sector.
NOTE: if the word “selling” turns you off, you can think of it as the “unique market proposition” if you’d like. It’s not about selling, it’s simply about differentiation.
For example: look at why you buy certain products or services from particular suppliers: what is it in your opinion that differentiates one from another?
- Why did you buy a particular power tool? Does it offer something or represent something that you cannot find in other brands? Why do you have this preference?
- Why did you choose your dentist? Or your accountant? Or your personal trainer? What was it about them that made you choose them over all the other ones out there?
3 steps to becoming different
- Start with your why (Simon Sinek’s viral video Start With Why is outstanding and – we’ve linked to in Module 1.3)
- Craft your USP (follow our 3 steps to do this)
- Communicate your USP with a tagline (check out module 1.3 for some great examples of trade business taglines)
In Module 1.3 of Tradie Marketing Secrets we provide a useful template to help you create your differentiation, USP and tagline.
Get the Inside Scoop on “What People Really Want From Tradies”
I conducted my own survey on LinkedIn and asked professional business people this question: “What qualities do you look for when hiring a trade contractor to perform construction or maintenance work?” It generated a flood of answers. The survey answers are provided in Module 1.3.
Get started today on making your trade business really stand out from the crowd and get noticed above all your competitors.
