Part 11 (1/2)
You don't need the world's greatest outcoood outcoht saum, you have to rely on reputation, experience, and expertise as proxies for expected results
Price is a factor, but you'd rather not skimp when the outcome is important (Side note: If I had said that Dr McCoy's innovations enable hie, would you have beenhis services or less interested?) Innovation in the sense that the doctor does so different than others, or is soe won't tip the scales of purchase preference in the favor of the innovator
So what is it that clients are, indeed, looking for? In our experience and research, such as Wel esley Hil s Group and RainTodaycom's benchmark report, How Clients Buy, :Reliability Do what you say you are going to do, and be on time about it (This is first because it's so important ”If only the service providers I've worked with intheir commitments”)Accessibility Be there when I need you
Impact Help me buy the most helpful and impactful services from you, and help me translate your services into success for ood fit for the specific needs that I have If you're not the best fit, help me find a provider that is Don't shoehorn your service into so that, in the end, won'telse
Importance Make me feel like I am, as a client, ireat service as wel as great services
Prudence Be careful and do your hoest a course of action for me
Research Stay on top of the developments and trends in your industry and inUnderstand my business, my team, and my clients or customers so you can co Help ht not be an expert in your area, but I'ht and I make the decisions here Help me understand what's new in your area of expertise so I can apply that knowledge in ement Run an efficient operation and constantly improve so I don't pay for your inefficiency
Relationshi+p h communication or other breakdowns on your end or mine In essence, treat me like a person
Different situations warrant different rees of these client wants For example, with many necessary services like Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, efficiency is i to hire product innovation consultants are likely to be less concerned about efficiency, and more concerned about the i of your team
One last question-how often do you think a buyers says, ”I need to hire some unique, different than every other provider out there” In our experience, it's rare
So different literal y, creating spates of ”we're different” e: ”At [firree that results drive our business, building relationshi+ps with our clients and providing value-added service are the keys to our success”
This firood; and from what I know of its reputation, it is However, results driving business, building relationshi+ps, and providing value are prettycopy standpoints
Regardless of the mix of attributes that are most important to your buyers, you probably won't seethis into the list of client wants: Unique Be one of a kind, offering so that no one else in theto the continuous pleas from consultants, marketers, and textbooks to be uniqueone of a kinda shi+ning beacon of newness in a sea of sa the value to the market that you say you deliver (which, in and of itself, can be uncommon, if not unique), and find ways to create a conversation with buyers around that , it's less lonely than being unique
Five More Branding Laws That Need Breaking ”If [a law] is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then I say, break the law”
-Henry David Thoreau Along with being unique, there are quite a nu world These ospel and law, simply are not valid for almost al professional services At least they are not valid for everyone and every business
When we read any piece of business advice that confidently declares, ”Always do this,” or ”This is true 100 percent of the tihts flash The high priests of branding anddown this al -or-nothing path So, we thought ould throw in our two cents' worth and add to the list of branding absolutes:Always seek to understand the underlying dyna decisions on how to brand your business
Never forget that, in the right situations, laws areco for those of us in the world of professional services
Maxim 1: Law of the Opposite ”The Law of the Opposite: If you're shooting for second place, your strategy is determined by the leader”
-Al Ries and Jack Trout33 The overal argument is that if you are not number one in your market and you want to hold the number two spot or below, analyze the company that holds the nuy, and position yourself as very different froood example of what Terrel and Middlebrooks, e discussed earlier in the chapter, would cal ”oppositioning”
Think about the positioning of the folowing types of companies that you know about:CPA firmsLaw firy consultants Of the coies? Are they directly opposite each other? Do you realy even care?
Here in Boston there are quite a large number of CPA firms Sure, some are known to have a bit of a stiff personality, while others are so practices in certain industries like education, nonprofits, and biotechnology I would hardly cal having a personality or coy that differs significantly fro around at their web sites, no one is shooting for opposite
As seeh we are sure soue otherwise), et us wrong It's i value proposition that resonates, conveys distinction, and is defensible (see Chapter 9) But the concepts of being different for difference's sake and unique sel ing propositions are just not helpful
Maxiory ”The most effective,a new category In other words, narrowing the focus to nothing and starting so totally new
That's the way to becoory and ultiine this conversation: IRS: Ms Jones, this is the IRS cal ing I have a question about the tax return you filed
Ms Jones: Yes?
IRS: Wel, we don't understand the return The forms you sent in are unfamiliar to us We also do not understand your calculations
Ms Jones: Oh, I'ory of CPA firory of:CPA to do your business taxes?
Lahen you need to win a case?
IT consultant when your server is down?
Plumber when al you want is a promptly returned phone cal (as the water rises in your sink)?
Or do you just want a reliable, consistent, high-quality job done by trustworthy people who treat you wel?
Maxi to know about position: Whoever grabs a position first pretty much owns it forever Position is in the minds of the collective market Reality hardly counts”
-T Scott Gross35 Branding guru after branding guru echoes this ”first rabbed the position first and nons high-quality investroupBrown Brothers HarrimanFidelity InvestmentsCharles SchwabTD WaterhouseTD BanknorthCitizens BankRBC Dain RauscherWainwright BankEastern BankSovereign BankPrudential FinancialLegg MasonMerril LynchMorgan Stanley
PaineWebberBank of AmericaBoston PrivateFiduciary Trust InternationalEdward JonesAG EdwardsGoldanDozens of smal er banksHundreds of CFPs, CPAs, and insurance firland roots) Does it matter as there first?
Maxim 4: Word Ownershi+p ”If you want to build a brand, youa word in the prospect's mind A word that nobody else owns”
-Al Ries and Laura Ries36 In industries where there is a limited nu, there are only so many car manufacturers), it is possible to oord Who owns safety? Volvo, of course
In service industries it's different There is typicaly an overabundance of providers of al sizes, and there are few generic words one can own: AchievementAdviceBalanceConfidenceControlCreativityExecutionFarityLoyaltyPeace