Courtesy of Thiswas meantforyou via flickr
Being Unique is a Good Thing ... Isn't It?
By: C.J. Hayden, MCC
Courtesy Of: Get Clients Now
18. Jul. 2008
New entrepreneurs frequently hear the advice to "be unique" in their marketing. The basic idea is a valuable one — to get attention in a crowded marketplace, you must stand out in some way. Distinguishing your product or service from the competition can make your marketing more effective. Crafting a novel marketing message can attract the notice of more potential customers.
There's no question that an element of uniqueness in your marketing can make your business more memorable, competitive, and special to your target audience. These are all reasons why being different can be good. But how different should you be?
A student in one of my classes had noticed there were no display ads for management consultants in his local Yellow Pages. "What a great opportunity," he thought, "to make my business stand out to prospective clients." He spent over $200 per month on a large ad for a full year. The result was not a single phone call, unless you count the ones from vendors trying to sell him photocopiers and phone systems.
He had neglected to ask his consulting colleagues WHY none of them had ads in the Yellow Pages. It seemed like a good idea to him, and no one else was doing it, so he pulled out his checkbook. What never occurred to him — and what any experienced colleague could have told him — was that companies don't choose management consultants from ads in the phone book.
Sometimes you can be too unique for your own good. There's a lot in sales and marketing that is tried and true. If you decide to forge a completely new trail, you may be attempting an experiment that many others in your field have already tried with no success.
It's not always just your marketing techniques that are a little too different. The same problem can afflict the product or service you are marketing.
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