For two winters I heated my house with an old fashioned
woodstove. I learned the art of reviving a bed of dying coals
each chilly winter morning, adjusting the kindling, firewood and
dampers just right so that the stove would heat my turn-of-the-
century farmhouse for the longest period possible.
I had the choice of four vendors to buy my hardwood from. All
were local, all sold at the same price, and all had the same
quality of hardwood.
But only one supplier, a character called Joe Meiser, advertised
same-day delivery at no extra charge. Joe got my business.
Joe got my business because he differentiated himself from his
competitors in a way that appealed to me. You need to do the
same to remain competitive.
You need to decide what makes you different from your
competitors, and you need to promote that uniqueness in your
sales letters. Just make sure your differentiator is compelling
and actually differentiates you.
"Quality Service" is not a differentiator. It's a given. So is
on-time delivery and the ability to meet budgets.
Instead, differentiate your firm based on your competence in
your industry or market category. Or be first at something. Or
invent something. Just make sure that your differentiator is
relevant and attractive to your prospects.
Joe Meiser also had a great guarantee. If you know anything
about heating your home with a woodstove, you know that Joe sold
and delivered his wood by the bush cord. One bush cord measures
4ft wide x 4ft high x 8ft long. He dumped it in a big pile on my
front lawn, and I then had to stack it in neat rows around my
property, by hand. Here was Joe's guarantee, always delivered
with a straight face but a twinkle in his blue eyes:
"I dump your eight bush cords in your yard with my
truck," he'd say. "You try da wood. If you don't like it, you
bring it back and I give you new stuff."
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