Not too long ago, we had just wrapped up another training program with a client and as tradition has it, on the last night my associates get to choose where they wish to be treated for dinner on my expense. As expected we went to a local steakhouse recommended to us by the keeper of the hotel we were staying at. When we arrived, everything looked fine and normal. We sat down and my associate- my friend, gazed across the menu and immediately his eyes lit up… there at the top of the menu, listed according to highest price first, was a 20 ounce porterhouse steak that just seemed to call out his name. Now as he tells it, he knows meat and because of recent experiences he believed this to be the ultimate choice. So without reservation he proceeded to order what is now known as the $29.95 mistake. What could go wrong…I mean after all, it was not too long ago he ordered the same steak at another restaurant and it was a huge success and after all, a steak is a steak and for the most part, they all start at the same point of origin…right? When the steak arrived, it LOOKED like any other steak, smelled good to. But the real character of the steak was revealed when the fork dug in and the knife gave up. It was not a pleasant experience.
This event triggered a question in my mind. What is it that makes what should be similar so very different? Think about that regarding your business. For the most part, we work in industries filled with competitors offering similar products and services, so how do we separate ourselves. Is a bank just a bank? Is a car wash just a car wash? Is a doughnut shop just a doughnut shop? I think not. Consider this. When Krispy Kreme Doughnuts came to town, for the first week or so, local police had to be assigned to their shop to direct traffic! You can buy doughnuts at a variety of locations and do so without fighting any traffic so why go through all this just for a circle of sugar? Because as in all the examples sited there really is a DIFFERENCE! Here are three ways I believe you set yourself apart.
1. Pay attention to detail. Everything matters. Ask yourself; Is our company easy to deal with? Are we user friendly? Details such as these insure the difference in your product, and your company from the others.
2. The little extra: Give more than expected. For example: My first visit to Krispy Crème Doughnuts, the attendant gave me a fresh HOT doughnut to eat while I waited in line to order my 5 dozen or so additional doughnuts. The little extra or the unexpected makes all the difference. In the example above with the steak, the reason the first steak was so much more enjoyable was due to the extra seasoning and the attention to preparation. Get it…I know you do.
3. The presentation and delivery: What is it like to partake in your finished product. Do I feel satisfied? Was my experience an enjoyable one? Did my doing business with you make my life better? These questions are answered in the presentation and delivery of the finished product.
So as you can see, a steak is not a steak and doughnuts are still not the healthiest thing you can eat…but man, they're good! And while both are from very similar origins within their specific genre, they each can be quite different? Such is the case with your business or organization. So my question to you is, even though you are in a competitive industry with others marketing similar products, can customers and potential customers clearly see and feel the difference in working with you?
