Differentiation

There are 5 questions you should ask when reviewing your points of differentiation. They are:

• What makes us better than our competitors?
• Why should our target market listen to our marketing message
• How easy is it for a new competitor to appear in our market?
• Why do our existing clients do business with us?
• What areas of minor differentiation exist between us and the competition?

Do you really know what your own clients are thinking about your product / service? Many leading organisations make use of customer surveys to gather this information and to maintain an ongoing dialogue with their customers.

Consider asking your clients the following 5 questions – and act on the answers.

• What made you buy from us?
• Who else did you consider?
• How did our product/service differ from others you reviewed?
• What do you consider to be the biggest strength of our product/service?
• If you knew then what you know now, would you still buy from us, and why?

It's always interesting to write down beforehand what you think the answers will be and then compare them. This is a valuable exercise if you have Account Managers looking after your clients. If there is a mismatch in the answers, what other assumptions is your Account Manager making in his day-to-day dealings with that client?

If you need to revisit your Marketing Planning process or gather more information on which to build your differentiators, then contact us to explore how we might be able to help.

If you need more ideas on Marketing, then register at our Resource Centre and access the free material. Sign up for our free newsletter HERE.

information, tips and ideas for everyone in sales and marketing.