If you don’t want to be in the race to the bottom as the lowest priced vendor, what are you doing to distinguish yourself from the competition? Even if your product or service is produced by other competitors, there must be a huge perceived value of doing business with you rather than with them or you would be long gone. So what is it?
According to Seth Godin* who is world renowned for being a thought leader and book writer in marketing, says there are 3 things to focus on that all people value: status, affiliation and freedom from fear. You may be better at one of these than the others, but consider if any of the others should be emphasized more in your communication with customers.
Status: Godin used the example of a restaurant with an unlisted phone number before the internet. You had to be in the know to get a reservation. Giving the unlisted number to a friend showed that you had the status, and conferring it on them made you the cool connector. The restaurant created all the buzz and got the return – they made the money. Exclusivity is the draw.
Affiliation: “People like us do things like this”. That is how Godin describes creating a culture and a shared identity – a sense of belonging to a group. The group might play this sport or video game, or drive a certain car. You are a Target shopper, or you do yoga. People want to feel part of something and connect to others with the same values or interests. Do you emphasize that in promoting your product or service?
Freedom from fear: Use this service to protect your property, or safe guard your money. These are the businesses that give you peace of mind. Is there a way to better promote what you do? How important is it to a potential customer that they can count on you to get them the right product, at the right time? It might be more important than the price.
He went on to ask: How can you be remarkable? And be mindful of: who is it for? and what is it for?
Are you thinking of ways to address all of these human needs to increase your sales, customer retention, team culture and retention? When you and your team brainstorm about what your customers value, some new opportunities may emerge in each of these categories. See if you can find a hidden gem.
*Seth Godin’s webinar for Vistage Members is available here until Nov. 20, 2025.
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