So, What Makes You Different?

The question as to what makes you and your company different is either the easiest question in the world to answer, or it is the most difficult question to answer. For some salespeople, it seems easy to answer, except that they say something that sounds exactly like what everybody else says when asked.

This question is too important to go without a well-thought out and well-crafted answer. If you can’t answer this question, later answering the question “why should I choose you?” will be even more difficult.

Stock Answers Aren’t Different

The first answer some salespeople are tempted to throw out when asked, especially when they are in B2B sales or a service industry, is “our people are what makes us different.” Rarely is this ever a defining and difference-making differentiator. You have some great people, no doubt. However, other competitors also have some great people, making it essential to identify what truly sets your company apart beyond just the quality of your team.

Then you get to things like “we are different because we are all about relationships.” Same thing. You surely have incredibly deep and powerful relationships with your clients, but other competitors also have similarly strong relationships. It’s important to identify what truly distinguishes you from the rest.

Execution can be a differentiator by itself, provided you can prove it.

Here are a few ideas for you to mull over about what differentiates.

My Favorites

Two of my favorite differentiators are beliefs and values. A company’s beliefs about who they are can be a powerful and defining differentiator. So are their values.

Your beliefs and your values can create a platform to explain why you do what makes you different from your competitors, as well as the greater results that you are able to produce by possessing those beliefs and values. These are hard differentiators to defend against.

I have a client who is very honest and very transparent about their pricing model. They believe that they shouldn’t collect fees from their partners that they don’t disclose to their clients. So they just don’t do it. Their beliefs about who they are and their values, especially their honesty and their integrity, are defining, difference-making differentiators in their space. As a competitor, if you follow them into a presentation and are asked to disclose your relationships with vendors and your undisclosed fees, you are already in a losing position.

Beliefs and values start at the top, and too many companies overlook their worth as differentiators—especially today.

The Synergistic Effect

Sometimes the defining differentiator isn’t one thing, and it isn’t really beliefs and values. Sometimes it’s a combination of things that when all rolled up together produce greater results and make you different.

For some companies it’s a combination of technologies coupled with a service model that produces greater results together than either one taken alone. For some companies it can be an even greater combination of little differences that make up a bigger difference.

Making a combination work means answering the question like this:

“There are four things that make us very different from our competitors and allow us to produce greater results. First, we have a service model that is based on an individual account manager, rather than passing you to whoever answers the phone. This means our people know your people, they understand your business, and they understand how to help you without you having to start over or retrain our staff every time you call in. This personalized approach is a key aspect of what makes you different from your competitors.”

Different by itself isn’t enough. Your differences have to make a difference for your dream. They have to help you answer the question as to why your dream client should buy from you instead of somebody else.

If you can’t answer the question to what makes you different, do your homework and write and rehearse your scripts. This will also help you with the trouble you have just getting in!

Questions

Can you answer the question as to what makes you different? Is it something your competitors might also say—or do also say?

How does what makes you different make a difference for your clients?

Does your company have an underlying belief structure or values that differentiate and define you in your industry? How do those differences translate to something meaningful for your clients?

If you execute and perform better than your competitors, how do you prove it? What allows you to perform better and why can’t your competitors copy you? (think about Southwest airlines—lots of competitors, no one has pulled off the model so well).

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