No matter what your business is, it’s important to remember that your customers are buying an experience, not just a product. Even if you are selling a commodity, you have the opportunity to differentiate that purchasing experience from that of your competition.
Consider who you choose to do business with and why. You shop at a particular grocery store because you know where things are and you carry the loyalty card that saves you money. You stop at a gas station because it’s easy to get in and out of, and they have a car wash. You choose the same on-line retailer because you trust their quality, and they make the return process easy.
We make decisions every day, whether consciously or subconsciously, based on convenience. We expect businesses to be easy to work with, to make our lives simpler, to be hassle-free, to deliver on promises. Those things are assumed; those are requirements for every business to succeed, especially in tighter economies.
If this is the baseline, how can you really differentiate your business? Take the posture that YOU are the product. You first have to recognize that customers (whether external customers or internal ones) see YOU first. Your reputation, the image you project, the confidence you have in what you do and how you do it… they are key to the sale and to the experience.
I believe that relationship and image come first. Value is a second (though sometimes it’s a photo-finish) to the sales experience. Consider this: I know many people who will drive past a Wal-Mart on their way to Target, even if they know they may pay a little more for what they are buying. They prefer the shopping experience, the business practices or the reputation of Target over those of Wal-Mart. A customer’s decision is not always about the lowest cost.
If you try to compete on cost alone, everyone loses because the quality of service will eventually wane. If you compete on service and make the experience more pleasant for your customer, you will likely find that your customers are more satisfied and loyal in the end. And happy customers don’t have a reason to look elsewhere.
re-S.H.A.P.E. your business.™
Clifford A. Bailey