Are You Your Client’s Solution?
October 3rd, 2008 at 12:26 pm by Livvie
Right after hurricane Ike went through, we saw a “run on the pumps” for gas here in Charlotte. Some drove for miles trying to find gas, some sat in lines for hours waiting for gas, while others literally ran out of gas waiting in line.
One lady was interviewed around 2:00 AM while sitting in her car wearing pajamas. When asked by the reporter why she was in her PJ’s, she answered she did what she needed to do. She thought if she came out early she would beat the crowd. Unfortunately many other people had thought the same thing as they sat in the lines at 2 AM…waiting.
But of all the people waiting in line, why was this particular lady the one interviewed, weren’t they all there to get gas? She was picked/interviewed because she stood out…she was different from the rest…she had on pajamas.
In our neighborhood we have a gas station about a mile from our house. My husband usually leaves before I do to go to work. I had asked him to let me know if he saw the tanker or saw that there was gas at the “corner store” and to call me if he did and I would leave early to go pump the gas.
Sure enough on Monday morning he called to say there was gas at the corner store and for me to come on while there was no line. That sounded great except for one problem…I was coloring my hair Monday morning and at the point my hair was literally foaming on the top of my head!
When I asked my husband if he could come back and get my car to fill it up, he stated he didn’t have the time left since he was gasing his truck too.
After thinking a minute for a solution, I asked him if I drove the car to the station, would he let me sit in the car…foamy hair and all…and he pump the gas for me. That he agreed to.
So I went running though the house grabbing my jacket, pocketbook, and keys, flew out the door, and drove to the gas station. Once there, I was able to sit in my car…hoping no one would see me… while my husband filled my car with gas.
Several people were already there and a few pulled up while I he was pumping the gas, but I didn’t see anyone do a double take of the woman sitting in her car with a foamy head!
Which brings me to ask you this…In your business, are you standing out from the rest of the pack? Or are you just blending in…unnoticed? Doing the same thing everyone else is doing.
There I was, sitting in the car in plain sight…with a foamy head…but no one noticed! However, had I been the one pumping the gas…out where I could be seen…my foamy head would have stood out. I would have been noticed!
With my example, we can even go so far as to say you can even be different…I was sitting in the car with a foamy head…but unless you are standing out, you still won’t be noticed.
My point is: If you are doing the same thing everyone else is doing, what is going to set you apart and make clients/patients stand up and notice you?
Remember the lady in her pajamas? There were a lot of people there and they were all waiting for gas, but only ONE was in her pajamas and she got noticed.
Ask yourself, better yet, ask your client/patients…What is it about our business/our practice that makes us stand out? What are we doing different/better than our competition? What about us makes you want to do business with us. What problem can we solve for you?
Then when you find consistent answers to these (and other) questions, you’ve found what set’s you apart…market it. Target all your written marketing materials and web site content to those “benefits”. The answers/benefits could be as simple as “You listen to me” to “You’ve taken my fear away and made me feel comfortable”, all the way to the bottom line…. “You’ve solved my problem!”
There’s a saying in the dental profession regarding the question…”Do you have to floss?”, you may have heard the answer…”You only have to floss the teeth you want to keep!”
So if you want to turn viewers/readers into client/patients…”Do you have to stand out?” You betcha’….but only IF you are (or are going to be) your client’s solution!
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Livvie Matthews, freelance writing services/Owner of Write Business has been helping businesses with their online and printed marketing content including Brochures, Web Site content, White Pages, e-mail Marketing, and Newsletters since the late ’90′s. e-mail mailto:livvie@writebusiness.net or Visit http://www.WriteBusiness.net.
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