"Defining What Is Unique and Different About Your Business" (In as few words as possible)
January 1, 2006

Last month, I wrote about the importance of being able to define your business in 10 seconds or less. ("So what exactly is it that you do, in less than 10 seconds?") When given the opportunity, it is important to answer "what exactly do you do?" in a catchy and fun manner. This captures the person's interest, and gets them to ask why people see value in working with you.

This month's article focuses on what to say after the person is intrigued with your 10 second or less definition of what you do. The person might say, "Your work sounds kind of fun. So, Jack, (or Jill, name your flavor), tell me more about your business? This month we are focusing on what to say after you gain the person's interest.

In my case, I define my business in 10 seconds or less by saying that "I am in the business of keeping sales organizations smiling."

Usually, people will respond by asking me, "How do you do that?"

At this point, it is important not to fall into the trap of providing a generic laundry list of stuff. Think about your business for a minute. Write down a few things that are unique to your company that differentiate you from your competition, that make you an outstanding and compelling choice with whom to do business. Ready, set, go!

If you have difficulty defining things, (and most people I know do), imagine what happens when you are on the spot and you draw a blank?

To prevent this from happening, try the following:

• Write down things that come to mind that you believe your company really does well
• Don't edit yourself. Write down things that your gut tells you're really good at, even if the characteristic is shared by other competitors
• Consider doing this as a group exercise with your managers/teammates
• Gain consensus by paring the list to a few really strong differentiators
• Take the list and create a reference card, perhaps titled "Why people enjoy doing business with our company." You and your team can use this as a refresher when meeting new contacts and cultivating interest in working together

I did this exercise with a client in a presentation to their managers and sales team a few weeks ago. It was interesting to hear what the group felt made their company different. There was a lot of commonality among them. In addition, we explored things that the company could consider doing to further distance themselves from their competition. This process can help you and your team pinpoint, in a constructive manner, areas of opportunity.

You might be curious to know what I think differentiates my company and me. Here are the things I mention when the other person says, "How do you keep sales organizations smiling, and why are you better at this than your other 10,000 competitors?"

• We ensure that we really understand our client's organizational and personal objectives before ever offering a prospective solution. We're not about selling stuff
• When we do offer a solution, such as "sales training," we work with the client to ensure that they are able to integrate it into their way of doing business
• We consider ourselves to be on the customer's team, and keep them in our thinking even after a particular engagement is completed
• Our client's are unique and different. They don't want to be sold. Each is treated as a "customer of one"
• If we cannot provide the client the right solution, or if they don't need what we have available, we ensure that they are aware of where to go to satisfy their needs
• We care as much about the client's families as we do about our own
• The one thing our customer's can't get from our competition is me

In summary, I suggest that you find ways to answer "what do you do?" with a catchy, 10 second or less response. This response should be memorable, easy to say, and designed with the idea of getting the person to ask you, "What does that mean, how are you different?"

Then, have a list of things that make you different. Make sure they are clear, supportable, believable and true. You can develop the 10 second or less response about what you do, and the list of things that make you different, in a group exercise.

Take the answers you gain and put them in writing, in a format that can be referenced and used by everyone in your company. Remember, everyone is a salesperson.

Finally, practice. Have fun with this in your company meetings.

Ultimately, the above process will enable you to qualify and then delve deeply into a prospective customer. This is the time for proper discovery, understanding, proposal development, closure, etc.