How to Define Your Key Competitive Advantage Within Your Entrepreneur Marketing Plan
If you’re a solopreneur in the throes of creating an entrepreneur marketing plan, then be sure to define and exploit this key customer benefit…
Your ability to provide swift and impeccable customer service due to your extremely small size and agility.
First, Let’s Consider Ways to Express This Crucial Entrepreneurial Advantage
Aside from our unique skill sets, hands down, the greatest customer benefit we independent sole-proprietors have is our ability to provide great service.
The key to generating revenue is to transform this customer benefit into a tangible experience within all of your marketing communications.
I provide several simple examples later in this post.
However, before getting into the particulars, let’s cement our thinking by considering a recent shopping experience I had.
Micro Business Owner Versus Goliath
My significant other and I are redoing our kitchen. We’re purchasing our cabinets from a national home improvement retailer. We wanted to order our counter tops through them as well. However, working with their vendors is a nightmare, i.e., the answers were inconsistent from one employee to the next.
What’s the alternative?
You guessed it. We turned to a local counter top provider in our hometown.
This example is the essence of what makes you and me different from “the big guys.”
Now, Let’s Generate More Sales Using This Advantage
The key to increasing revenue from your agile customer service abilities is to turn this often intangible customer benefit into a tangible one.
Therefore, try expanding upon some of the following message points within your entrepreneur marketing plan:
- Being with customers is the best part of our day.
- Helping clients one-on-one. Yup, we’re a bit old fashioned.
- Customer loyalty to a fault.
- Providing for our customers beyond what’s required.
- We’re great listeners. Be heard!
- Hearing what is unsaid; creating satisfaction beyond words.
- Stopping at nothing to make your day.
As you know, great customer service goes beyond professionally answering the phone.
It also includes our swiftness in resolving customer concerns and our ability to alter our products and services to fit the unique needs of each individual consumer.
All of these competitive factors enable us to retain customers for life.
Keep in touch. Sign up for my free monthly marketing tip.
Be Extreme With Your Advertising Messages
Whatever angle you use to differentiate yourself, make sure to be: clear, consistent and extreme with your marketing message. I say “extreme” because there is a tremendous amount of clutter online.
Therefore, you’ll need to be somewhat radical to stand out.
For Example:
Let’s say you’re a contractor. Your customer service motto, i.e., competitive advantage, could be:
We’ll complete everything on your punch list, no questions asked!
Extreme? Yes. Does it stand out? YES!
How to Find a Unique Customer Service Message
To effectively communicate your business’ individual excellence, consider the following two strategies:
#1 — View your business and yourself through your customer’s eyes.
#2 — Walk through every interaction between you and your customer.
For Example:
- Initial email inquiry
- Agreeing to purchase
- Fulfilling service
- Managing customer concerns
- Follow-up upon completion of service
- Follow-up touch-points months post sale
Now ask yourself, “Exactly how is my business different throughout my customer’s journey?”
[RELATED] Gather inspiration for your entrepreneur marketing plan from my eBook: Self-Employed Wanted. Available at Amazon for only $2.99.
Hear from satisfied Amazon customers…
“GREAT SUPPORT – It’s that pat on the back that you sometimes need when you are self-employed.” — Patti F
“I found this book witty and fun with serious touches sprinkled in that I, as a small business owner can relate to!” — Sam D
Parting Thoughts
Keep in mind that once you define your customer service message, you MUST stand behind it 100% of the time. Otherwise, your prospects will likely opt for the big guy, since the latter is often cheaper and more readily accessible.
Finally, when writing your marketing plan, keep this one key question in mind: “What’s in it for me?”
Your customers want to know.
More Marketing Planning Resources:
Special Report: Financial Services 12-Month Annual Content Marketing Calendar
Article: Free 12 Month Marketing Plan Template & Calendar
Blog Post: How to Compete with Large Businesses
Especially Relevant…
Marketing Planning Self-Pace Course: If you’re serious about growing your business, then I recommend How to Create a Practical Marketing Plan. It’s a detailed, on-demand course you take at your own pace. The course is facilitated by Marketing Consultant Marcia Yudkin. She’s well known for her practical, no-nonsense approach. I’ve been a fan of Marcia’s for years. I’m also an affiliate and stand behind her knowledge 100 percent. Grow your small business faster by using the detailed planning strategies outlined in her course.
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Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing!
Independently Yours,
~ Sharron