4 steps to shedding your look-alike image Part 1

Part 1 in a series of excellent advice from those who know.

Dare to Be Different

Successful marketing means standing out from your competitors. Here are 4 steps to shedding your look-alike image.

By Kim T. Gordon
Can your prospects tell the difference between your company and its closest competitors? If not, it may be time to overhaul your marketing strategy. Differentiation is at the heart of long-term marketing success, and the key to marketing strategy is originality.
Let’s take a look at an old slogan. Most of us instantly recognize “Good to the last drop” as belonging to Maxwell House. This venerable slogan has been successful at differentiating the product from scores of competitors, including many that might otherwise appear virtually identical. Not only has it been hammered home year after year, but the slogan also works because it encapsulates the promise of the brand in a way that’s uniquely valuable to the target audience.
Differentiation plays a key role in branding and is the foundation of a competitive advantage. And it profoundly affects your position in the minds of your prospects and customers. Effective differentiation can position you as No. 1 among your competitors–the company or brand customers turn to first–while a poor differentiation strategy can leave you buried in the middle of the pack.
Are you ready to develop your own differentiation strategy? Here are four steps to get you started.
1. Evaluate competitive messages. Your first step is to gather and evaluate the marketing materials of your chief competitors, including their ads, brochures and website content. Don’t be surprised if you see a lot of “me too” marketing. There’s simply a lot of bad marketing out there, and the fact that many of your competitors have no differentiation strategy will work to your advantage.
At least some of your competitors–usually the category leaders–will make promises that resonate with their target audiences. Carefully review the benefit statements your competitors make, and determine what claims set them apart.
2. Find what makes you unique. For a companywide differentiation strategy, consider what separates you from the competitors you’ve evaluated. Whether you market a product or operate a service business, such as an accounting firm or a power-washing company, it’s essential to clearly differentiate through your marketing how what you offer is of unique value.
Your point of differentiation may relate to the way your product or service is provided, priced or even delivered. The most important thing to discover is the principal benefit you offer that is uniquely valuable to customers and gives you a competitive advantage.
3. Tell the world. Your next step is to create a new marketing message that communicates your product or service’s unique value. This message should become the core of your entire marketing campaign. To successfully gain a competitive advantage, consistently drive this point of differentiation home until it becomes integral to your brand image.
For example, through its slogan, Maxwell House communicates that its coffee will always taste good, not bitter, down to the very bottom of the pot. When repeatedly communicated through ongoing marketing, it’s this assertion about being “Good to the last drop” that differentiates the product and has helped make it successful over the years.
4. Keep your promise. Effective differentiation has everything to do with customer satisfaction, which builds loyalty and often trumps price as a primary consideration of consumers. As long as your company can sustain its ability to differentiate in a way that consistently meets consumer expectations, customers may reject lower-cost competitors in favor of what you have to offer.
The bottom line is that customers see the value of what’s offered. Rather than go elsewhere for a similar product or service at a lower price, they’ll stay loyal because of the “intangibles.” Nothing costs you customers faster than a disconnect between the promises made in marketing and the reality of customer experience with your product or brand. So for long-term success, your company or product must live up to its marketing promise.

Kim T. Gordon is the “Marketing” coach at Entrepreneur.com and a multifaceted marketing expert, speaker, author and media spokesperson. Over the past 26 years, she’s helped millions of small-business owners increase their success through her company, National Marketing Federation Inc.

Your best personal hygiene, appearance, and image.

Lately I’ve become more aware that I could stand to improve my hygiene. So in the interest of all that is socially responsible, I will recommend some tips and products to help us all. I’ll also cover appearance and image. Some of these I have experience with and others are suggestions from experts or image consultants. I don’t want to face an embarrassing situation at work, socially, or at home. How we present ourselves to the world affects our success in many areas of life. This will be mainly from a guy’s perspective but could be applied to the gals as well. Now let us get cleaned up!

First off, I want to cover hygiene.
This includes matters such as bad breath, perspiration, shaving, and fingernails/toenails.
Bad breath solutions that I’ve found effective – brushing of course, mouthwash, flossing and picking, chewing a variety of minty type gum, avoiding foods that cause indigestion, limiting sugary drinks (I seem to have read somewhere that some sugars can kill good bacteria? or causes stinky bacteria to multiply?) The jury is out on this for now.

Perspiration solutions – Shower everyday of course, use some kind of deodorant (I prefer a non aluminum type), reduce the amount of meats eaten (these can putrify in your bowels and somehow it does come out in your sweat), sweat more when you do sweat (by this I mean during a workout exercise, or in a sauna) it really clears the pores.

Shaving: this is common sense as to how often. Might I recommend using the best shaving cream you can get, there is a big difference in quality and results. I may start using a safety razor and brush. One of the best shaves there is. Period. Next to that would be using a straight razor, but takes a steady hand and a lot of practice. Don’t know that I’m ready for that. Simply put, for a great shave, warm the face, wash face with cleanser not soap, dab face when rinsing, don’t wipe. Apply generous cream to skin and let sit for no more than a few minutes or according to product directions. Now this next step is debatable. Some say to draw the razor across the face with the grain, one pass at a time till done. Others will advise you to go first with the grain, till done, then re-lather and go against the grain over face till done, then rinse. Lastly, use your preferred aftershave lotion or creme. I’m trying both methods and will report.

Secondly, consider appearance.
This includes trimming those ear hairs, nose hairs, hair between the brows, maybe some lip balm, neatly dressed, fingernails trimmed and clean, and moisturized skin – especially hands.

Lastly, what about image? Self-image in particular depends on one’s confidence, self-respect, and integrity. Image can be professionalism, artistic flair, charm, and constitution. Strong and positive image is contagious, choose carefully, and make it match your true self.