To stand out, you must clearly define your customer, then determine your irresistible offer. Finally, you need to be where your client is looking, and over-deliver. Here’s how:

Stand Out to Your Target Audience with the Right Message in the Right Place

It’s difficult to cut through the clutter and stand out to your target audience. Here is a four-step business growth strategy that has worked for our clients over and over:

1. First, figure out exactly who your ideal client is.

   • Not in general terms but specifically. This is extremely important. When we ask our clients who their ideal client is, we often get “high net worth individual” or “business owner.”

     This is not good enough and will lead to you working harder, not smarter. To succeed in defining your ideal client, you must get to know everything about that person:

     1. How they operate.
     2. What they like or dislike.
     3. Their needs.
     4. The issues they face.
     5. What excites them.
     6. What brings them success.
     7. Who they are in the community and with their families.

     See our blog https://eminetwork.com/uncategorized/must-haves-customer-profile-buyer-persona/ for guidance on how to build your client profile and persona

2. Next, determine what they need and how to tailor your offerings to match.

Focus on a single capability or quality that solves your ideal client’s most pressing paint point.  A differentiator is not, “I provide great customer service.” Everyone says that. You need something that will draw clients to you and your firm.

Here are 4 tips for determining your differentiating quality:

1. Ask yourself: What is your unique capability?

• Of all the things you do, what do you do best?
• Is there something special about your product or service, how you deliver it, how you add value, or how a core value infuses everything you do?
• Is your process better?
• Do you have a unique business model or customer service approach?

2. Think about what drew your existing clients.

• Why are your longest-term clients still using your services?
• Are you easier to work with?
• Are interactions with your staff more pleasant?
• What is the most satisfying complement you ever received from a client?
• Do you think other customers also appreciate that quality?

3. Think of ways to go against the trends in your industry.

• What can you do differently that will position you as an innovator?
• Deliver faster, more accurately, with a simpler contract, a better guarantee or better access?
• Can you offer training, blogs, books or videos that demonstrate your expertise in your client’s field?

4. Study the competition

• Find their weak points by reading reviews.
• Solve the problems their clients experience.

Think of McDonald’s: not the best-tasting or healthiest food, but customers know it will be faster than Wendy’s or Arby’s.

Tailor all your marketing efforts to say “We are best at ____________” (your differentiator, irresistible offer or USP—Unique Selling Proposition).

What makes your offer irresistible is framing or maybe even changing it to creates an unforgettable experience for your client.

3. Communicate effectively with this target—where they are looking, when they are looking.

Once you have the differentiating factor, determine the best way to communicate with the target market you have pinpointed. What do they read, watch and listen to? Make it easy for your ideal client to find you.

One way is to align your brand with a recognizable, trusted brand. For example, you could create a content marketing program to appear in Forbes, Entrepreneur or Golf Digest. Let a marque brand catch your audience’s attention. You can also align your brand through direct mail, leave-behinds and other channels.

Working in multiple channels, interject your personality into your communications. People want to work with real humans who empathize with their pain points. Be vulnerable; share your story in a different way.

4. Deliver value without regard for profitability.

Profitability always follows excellent service. With sincerity and intention, give more than you ever have. Every day, ask yourself two questions:

• how am I going to create an amazing experience?
• how am I going to exceed expectations?

Prep for meetings with this mindset. Train your staff to mimic what you are doing to deliver more value.

This will become a part of who you are and how you operate.

We Can Help

You don’t have to go it alone. EMI’s solutions are focused on sales & marketing success, and we can help you do the heavy lifting at any budget level. To learn more, contact us at [email protected], 513.760.0560 or visit https://eminetwork.com/solutions/.