Why Being Unique Is Beneficial To Your Business

Why Being Unique Is Beneficial To Your Business

When it comes to building a successful business, the common thought process is that you simply imitate what other companies are already doing well in the marketplace. Imitation, as they say, is the sincerest form of flattery.  But when assessed properly, the reality may be that doing things differently or adding a certain little twist to your business sets you apart and gets people talking about you. If you can compete at the same standard and quality as your opposition, but then add an exciting or innovative twist to the mix, you will inevitably stand out from the crowd.

 

When it comes to owning a business that teaches a foreign language, for example, it could be quite difficult to differentiate yourself. But this Spanish school based in Argentina has added free cultural lessons to their program – to allow their students to fully embrace the Spanish mindset. This will not be particularly expensive to implement, but it is a perfect example of how bringing something a little different to the table makes your company stand out. Here is a quote from one of their students, which is perfect publicity material for their company and demonstrates why that little twist works:

“My boyfriend has been going to the Vamos Spanish Academy for 12 weeks now. Since he started, he has made huge progress, and he is now very confident when speaking in Spanish, which he found difficult before. Through the school, we have also met many people and made new friends whom we often hang out and do fun activities with during the week. Vamos has been great to him, and to me as well. He always enjoys going to class and now we can speak in Spanish to each other, which is awesome.”

The iPod is another example of what can be achieved by changing something very small that makes a huge difference. At the time of the iPod launch, there were a lot of MP3 players, but their interface and software were complicated and anything but straightforward. The Apple software and ease of use were the differentiating factors that drove the explosion in iPod sales. Let’s be honest, all of the technology was capable of playing your music; it was just that Apple did it better, and look at the results they had.

Think about any company you admire, or even those you have recommended in the past. It will normally be because of something exceptional they did, which was over and above your expectations. Whatever your business, try to come up with something truly unique that gets people talking about you. It doesn’t have to be earth-shattering; it just needs to differentiate you from your competition.

Here are some ideas to help get you started:

  • Do some market research and try to find out what most customers are complaining about in your industry, then set out to solve that problem. If everyone else is doing the same thing wrong and you do it properly, you will have hit a home run.
  • Show your clients that you care about their business, not just your own. It is common sense that you will be passionate about your own business, but your clients don’t care about that. They are interested in their own business. Ironically, if you devote your care and attention to your client’s needs, you will find that your own business flourishes. Once you have established a first-class relationship with your client, nobody else will be good enough, and your company will become virtually
  • Make it easy for your client to get in touch. How many times have you called a company and been greeted with “press 1 for this, press 2 for that” and so on. It drives most people to annoyance and puts them in a bad mood before they even speak to you. Offer contact via Twitter, have an online assistant, and even an email address, provided that you are certain your team will respond rapidly to any inquiries. This lets your customer get on with their business needs, safe in the knowledge that you will contact them urgently.

None of the above may seem huge in their own right, but so few of your competitors are paying attention to these type of complaints. By implementing some small but powerful ideas, you can generate a lot of positive publicity.