How Do You Answer What Makes Your Company Different?

Identifying and Marketing Your Company’s Real Differentiators

This article was originally written and published for the CSCNetwork News printed publication.

It’s been said that your (personal) brand is what people think of you when they hear your name. The same is true when potential customers hear or see anything related to your company’s brand.

What do you think of when you hear the names Nike, Ford, Cadillac and Lululemon, to name a few?

It comes down to the perception of a brand. For businesses, the perception audiences have is their reality.

Many CSCNetwork Members have decades, if not generations, of experience that are admirable traits for any company. Still, customers and prospects are most often tuned in to “WIIFM”-the “What’s In It For Me?”

When working on your sales and marketing plans, crafting sales proposals or even social media posts, it’s important to get to the “So What?” for the intended audience.

Understand the “So What” Factor

Understanding the “So What?” factor is crucial in distinguishing your brand’s message from a mere statement of fact to a compelling value proposition. This means translating features into tangible benefits that resonate with your audience. Here are some common marketing statements  transformed to highlight their true significance:

“We’ve Been In Business For 100+ Years” – So What?

Decades of experience and long-term employees mean that we’re invested in our customers and provide service they won’t find from any other provider.

Continuous improvement is a core philosophy. Our company exists today and will in the future because we’re never complacent in our process, equipment, technology products or employee development.

“We Use Only The Highest Quality Products” – So What?

When outfitting employees or providing linens for an event venue, they’ve got to look good. Appeal to the wearer, or the guest at the table. And be so “unnoticeable” that the quality is a given and seamless to your customer.

“We Use Technology To Track Garments” – So What?

No one wants to pay for missing linens or garments. With our tracking technology, you’ll know if or when something is missing almost immediately. Items are scanned in and out, ensuring everything we launder is returned to you. Online portals give customers access to their account, invoice and service team 24/7.

Unlocking Your Unique Advantage with the 7 Types of Differentiators

After exploring how to effectively convey the “So What?” factor in common marketing statements, it’s clear that the power of differentiation is key to standing out in a competitive market. However, identifying what makes your company truly unique can be challenging. Let’s review the seven types of differentiators to inspire your strategy. By understanding and leveraging these types, you can transform your approach and ensure your value proposition is clear and impactful.

1. Product: Your product offerings and selection process help you stand out from the competition. Share with your customers how you stay on top of the latest trends and only select the best products that can withstand the wash cycles. Highlight unique features and capabilities that directly improve their experience.
2. Process: Don’t just talk about having great customer service – shine a light on the specific processes that give you that edge. From starting a uniform or linen rental program to the steps of a hygienically clean laundry cycle, that extra insight for the customer can give them confidence in your products and services.
3. Price: While competitive pricing is a powerful lure, avoid a race to the bottom. Instead, position your rates as an unbeatable value when coupled with your other differentiators like service quality and reliability.
4. Experience: To put it simply: show, don’t tell. You often hear about the benefits of a local provider over nationals – when it’s business as usual. But how do you fix your mistakes? How well do you communicate when changes or issues arise? How do you ensure service isn’t missed for your customers? Mistakes are unavoidable, but making sure it’s still a positive experience for the customer shows you care about their business.
5. Technology: As a member of the CSCNetwork, you have access to the latest and greatest when it comes to technology in this industry. Customers want a provider that will keep them at the forefront of innovation. Showcase your commitment to investing in the latest equipment and systems.
6. Marketing: Your marketing approach itself can be a key differentiator. Being creative and authentic in how you engage prospective customers makes an impression.
7. Relationships: At the end of the day, you’re a local business built on relationships within your community. Highlight how you view customers as neighbors and prioritize those lasting bonds. Your workforce of locals, community reinvestment initiatives, and reputation are powerful distinctions.

While these differentiators are useful to craft your advantages, at the heart of the matter is your why. Most people have heard of Simon Sinek and his very popular TED Talk “People Don’t Buy What You Do, They Buy Why You Do It.”  Realizing we’re not talking about Apple, Google or other big brands—we’re talking about your company and your business.

How do you get to your why?

Ask yourself these questions:

• What would the market miss out on if our company ceased to exist?
• What stories about your organization, your customers or your employees make you smile?

An Example: Differentiate Your Business from The Competition

During the most recent CSCNetwork Annual Convention, we listened carefully to many breakout session Q&A segments. An important point raised was this  “As a locally owned provider, how do we stand out against the big guys, and show that we have the capacity and capabilities to handle large accounts?”

We assume this organization uses the “locally owned and operated” fact as a differentiator. This can be a blessing and a curse, since “locally owned and operated” can give a perception of either A: easy-to-work-with and access to staff when needed, OR B: the perception of a small business that lacks resources.

Our recommendation? Show, and tell them what you’re capable of. If you don’t talk about yourself, your capabilities, and your “So what?” factor, no one else will either.

Similar to what is mentioned above, here are some ways to demonstrate capabilities. Understand that proof comes in many forms.

• Create infographics of your process to have on the website. Use those on social media, in email marketing, and even in sales proposals. Include the pounds of textiles you launder and handle every single week.
  • Proven processes outlined on your website, or in sales and marketing collateral, demonstrate your expertise in what you do, and how you do it. Reliable. Professional. Process.
• Use logos of large accounts/customers (with their approval, of course). Show prospective customers the “big” accounts who already trust you and count on you, so prospects can too.
• Use photos or videos of the plant that show the scale of your facility. Videos that showcase your process, team, customer stories and capabilities give prospects visual proof of the work you do.
• Get positive customer reviews that show the business provides exceptional service and products, and takes care of its customers. Think of these positive reviews and testimonials as word-of-mouth referrals on steroids.
• Case studies (i.e. customer stories) show proof of others who’ve been in the same situation as the prospects. Perhaps a case study or story about a past customer who left and went to another provider, but quickly came back to your company because they realized the service and reliability couldn’t be beat.

When creating these various pieces of content, keep the following three items in mind:

• • It’s got to be true
  • It’s got to be relevant
  • It’s got to be provable

How Will You Differentiate Your Business?

Dig deeper to think about the real reasons that your customers choose to do business with you, and why they stay. It’s not simply because you are family-owned, or independent.

Customers are choosing your business because they are fed up with issues from their current service provider. They don’t want to call a call center; they want route reps who know their facility and where everything goes, and they want programs to run without incident or interruption to their business. This can be true for so many different businesses today, not just those in the uniform or linen rental business.

By doing the work and digging into the “So What?” of your business, you will uncover a treasure trove of messages and differentiators that will set you apart from the other guys. Because, despite sharing similar qualities with many “small” to mid-sized businesses, your business and your brand are unique and deserve the same, if not bigger, spotlight than the “big guys.”

Need a Little Help Establishing Your Brand Messaging and So What Factor?

We help businesses of all sizes, from professional service providers and consultants to global manufacturers find their voice and what makes them most valuable to their ideal customers. We can help you, too. Whether you want to work on brand messaging, key differentiators, elevator speeches or sales presentations to a full brand refresh and website development, our team is ready!  You’ll find that we care about our clients and value relationships more than most, we provide a single point of contact and accountability to our clients, and we won’t work with a competitor in your market. And, (yes there’s more), we do not lock anyone in to a contract compared to several other marketing and SEO agencies.

Give us a call or reach out today to learn more.