In a market characterized by increasing commoditization, it’s becoming more difficult to stand out and get the attention of prospective customers. What were once key differentiators, such as technology and product innovation, are no longer enough to set you apart from the crowd.

Without differentiation, it takes more time and money to show prospects why you are the best choice; as a result, you often end up competing on price – a difficult position to sustain over the long term.

One of the biggest issues facing sales organizations today is the simple fact that they are not engaging in enough meaningful conversations with executive-level decision makers. There are many reasons for this, but without the ability to clearly articulate what differentiates your solutions, you simply will not be heard.

Here are five thoughts on how to bring your uniqueness to life:

  1. Above all else, know your target market, know their problems, and get crystal clear on the value you bring.
  2. Sharpen your focus. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Starbucks became successful because they focused on making a great cup of coffee in a unique environment.
  3. Even if what you do for clients is similar to many of your competitors, how you do it and your unique expertise can offer rich sources of differentiation. One of Marketing’s original thought leaders, Theodore Levitt, asserted that every service is differentiated in some way. Don’t overlook exploring all the nuances that add value for your clients.
  4. Be a thought leader, not a thought follower. Take a stand and offer a unique and compelling point of view on the problems your customers face. The recipe for a weak pipeline is “greater sameness”, so avoid sounding and looking like everyone else.
  5. Look for longevity. For sales messaging to have impact, it needs to have staying power in the marketplace.

Identifying the distinct ways that your clients experience value and building your messaging platform around those distinctions will help you generate more initial leads and gain the attention of the decision makers you are looking to engage with.

How important is strong sales messaging that clearly differentiates?

CSO Insights, a research firm that conducts a yearly survey of sales executives from nearly 2000 companies, found that firms who excelled at creating sales messaging that clearly set their services apart from the competition had noticeably more reps achieving quota and achieved higher win rates.

One of our services is helping our clients craft their marketing and sales messaging to grab the attention of their target market. If you are not having enough valuable conversations with prospective customers because you can’t gain access to decision makers, let’s talk.