Hmmm...I've heard various people being very candid, like "We know we're not the only one you can get this from..." and "we would just like to do our best to earn your business..." Maybe this is disarming, or it shows humility, gains respect, things like that. Other answers I've heard seem contrived or a little too cocky for me to use. Another I was able to use recently, though not the exact same question is that my other customer (same agency as theirs) was using the other source until a few years ago when they switched over completely to me, and you could certainly contact them if you'd like to hear a bit more. But sometimes they're just set with the other in which case maybe I'll call several months later just to drop a reminder and see what happens.
Yves Marie, I have a unique situation being an artist which means no two can be the same, So I stress originality, one of a kind Original work hand signed. In my work no one has the same thing !
There will always be another company that "has or does the same thing" from a customers point of view. Know your product and what differentiates you from others and be able to explain it to the customer with confidence. If the customers choose to go elsewhere then they aren't the right customer for you. You want to work or sell to people who believe and appreciate your product. If you have to convince them they usually aren't worth the hassle.
The only thing that can separate you from your competitor who sells the same thing as you is your customer service. Everyone can provide the same or similar products as well at a lower price but only you can control the quality of level of service that would separate you from your competitor:) Level of service can only be determined by examples set by owners or management. Make you staff feel like the are number 1 and in return, they will make your customers feel the same:)
Yes that is very true, in fact you use this product because it is so popular and there are a number of places you can purchase it. The only difference is that I come with this product if you purchase from our company and I will work hard to earn your Business
The most important part of marketing your business is telling potential customers how you're different from everybody else out there doing what you do. If you're selling commodities, people are going to buy from the lowest-price vendor...unless you offer them something that vendor doesn't. Maybe it's free shipping (although this is getting more and more difficult as shipping prices continue rising). Maybe it's stellar customer service. Maybe it's ease of checkout. Whatever you do that makes you better than your competition, play that up in your marketing.
When you sell an intangible product, usually your own services in your area of expertise, this statement can be frustrating. If you have spent many years getting educated on your specialty, and building a lifetime of experience at it, you don't want to hear that somebody else is doing "the same thing" at a lower cost. But if someone tells you this, it means they're interested in what you do, and are usually trying to negotiate a cheaper rate for it. Your marketing task at that point is to explain to them what differentiates you -- what makes you the absolute best at what you do, and why those lower-priced services are not really comparable to yours.
I had a group of college marketing students using my Old Maid Cat Lady e-commerce site, where I sell products for cats and cat lovers, as a class project, advising me on what I should be doing to market it; I regularly make my site available to them for this. One of the points they tried to tell me was that other retailers were selling flea collars much cheaper than I was. When I looked at what they were comparing, they were taking a custom-made fabric collar that looks like a little bow tie and is stuffed with fresh herbs, that my vendor hand crafts to order, and comparing that to a mass-market plastic flea collar that comes in a box. There is no comparison between those two! But their lack of realization for that told me that I was not doing a good enough job of differentiating them to the casual observer.
Here's another example: I was hired earlier this year to edit a book manuscript; my base business is writing and editing. The client told me that mine was the highest quote she got, but based on the sample I provided to her, I appeared to do more than the other editors from whom she had obtained quotes. Her book was almost twice the length of most of the books I've edited before and my services aren't cheap, so I was not hopeful that she would hire me when I submitted the quote. Her confidence in me reinforced my confidence in my own abilities and I did a fantastic job on her manuscript. She was very pleased with my feedback and is working on her revisions now. But my point is this: had I questioned my ability and tried to lower my prices because of the enormous size of the project, I would have been leaving money on the table! I would have also been cheapening myself and not charging what I'm worth. My superior services are worth what I charge, and I don't negotiate on price.
It's a little hard for me to answer this as I sell a service rather than a product. However, when asked how we differ from our competitors, we generally talk about a) years in the business (much longer than any local competitor) b) doing things to care for client's dogs that others won't do, and c) welcoming all breeds and sizes of dogs which is something that others won't do.
I don't live in a world of competition. I am here to share my gifts and talents, and I support others to do the same. If we do similar work, we can see each other as allies and share resources.
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Answers (11-20)
Find more clients....meaning there is Not just one pie to Divvy up....make more pies...
Hmmm...I've heard various people being very candid, like "We know we're not the only one you can get this from..." and "we would just like to do our best to earn your business..." Maybe this is disarming, or it shows humility, gains respect, things like that. Other answers I've heard seem contrived or a little too cocky for me to use. Another I was able to use recently, though not the exact same question is that my other customer (same agency as theirs) was using the other source until a few years ago when they switched over completely to me, and you could certainly contact them if you'd like to hear a bit more. But sometimes they're just set with the other in which case maybe I'll call several months later just to drop a reminder and see what happens.
Yves Marie, I have a unique situation being an artist which means no two can be the same, So I stress originality, one of a kind Original work hand signed. In my work no one has the same thing !
Find something that differentiates your shop. Your own pattern line, or your classes or top level customer service or lots of shop models
I find focusing on what my shop does best works better than worrying about what the other shops are doing.
I do believe that other shops teaching people to knit or crochet is ultimately good for my shop
There will always be another company that "has or does the same thing" from a customers point of view. Know your product and what differentiates you from others and be able to explain it to the customer with confidence. If the customers choose to go elsewhere then they aren't the right customer for you. You want to work or sell to people who believe and appreciate your product. If you have to convince them they usually aren't worth the hassle.
The only thing that can separate you from your competitor who sells the same thing as you is your customer service. Everyone can provide the same or similar products as well at a lower price but only you can control the quality of level of service that would separate you from your competitor:) Level of service can only be determined by examples set by owners or management. Make you staff feel like the are number 1 and in return, they will make your customers feel the same:)
Yes that is very true, in fact you use this product because it is so popular and there are a number of places you can purchase it. The only difference is that I come with this product if you purchase from our company and I will work hard to earn your Business
The most important part of marketing your business is telling potential customers how you're different from everybody else out there doing what you do. If you're selling commodities, people are going to buy from the lowest-price vendor...unless you offer them something that vendor doesn't. Maybe it's free shipping (although this is getting more and more difficult as shipping prices continue rising). Maybe it's stellar customer service. Maybe it's ease of checkout. Whatever you do that makes you better than your competition, play that up in your marketing.
When you sell an intangible product, usually your own services in your area of expertise, this statement can be frustrating. If you have spent many years getting educated on your specialty, and building a lifetime of experience at it, you don't want to hear that somebody else is doing "the same thing" at a lower cost. But if someone tells you this, it means they're interested in what you do, and are usually trying to negotiate a cheaper rate for it. Your marketing task at that point is to explain to them what differentiates you -- what makes you the absolute best at what you do, and why those lower-priced services are not really comparable to yours.
I had a group of college marketing students using my Old Maid Cat Lady e-commerce site, where I sell products for cats and cat lovers, as a class project, advising me on what I should be doing to market it; I regularly make my site available to them for this. One of the points they tried to tell me was that other retailers were selling flea collars much cheaper than I was. When I looked at what they were comparing, they were taking a custom-made fabric collar that looks like a little bow tie and is stuffed with fresh herbs, that my vendor hand crafts to order, and comparing that to a mass-market plastic flea collar that comes in a box. There is no comparison between those two! But their lack of realization for that told me that I was not doing a good enough job of differentiating them to the casual observer.
Here's another example: I was hired earlier this year to edit a book manuscript; my base business is writing and editing. The client told me that mine was the highest quote she got, but based on the sample I provided to her, I appeared to do more than the other editors from whom she had obtained quotes. Her book was almost twice the length of most of the books I've edited before and my services aren't cheap, so I was not hopeful that she would hire me when I submitted the quote. Her confidence in me reinforced my confidence in my own abilities and I did a fantastic job on her manuscript. She was very pleased with my feedback and is working on her revisions now. But my point is this: had I questioned my ability and tried to lower my prices because of the enormous size of the project, I would have been leaving money on the table! I would have also been cheapening myself and not charging what I'm worth. My superior services are worth what I charge, and I don't negotiate on price.
It's a little hard for me to answer this as I sell a service rather than a product. However, when asked how we differ from our competitors, we generally talk about a) years in the business (much longer than any local competitor) b) doing things to care for client's dogs that others won't do, and c) welcoming all breeds and sizes of dogs which is something that others won't do.
I don't live in a world of competition. I am here to share my gifts and talents, and I support others to do the same. If we do similar work, we can see each other as allies and share resources.