Why do your customers come to you? Why do they pay you money for your products or services instead of another organization? Why you?

It's a short, two-word question, but its answer could transform the way you operate your business. You see, the answer is what sets you apart from everyone else. It's your brand. It's your unique differentiator. It's your top-of-mind awareness pitch. It's all of those and every other nifty marketing term out there which indicates what benefit you provide your current customers. It also helps potential customers determine whether or not you can help them too.

So how do you find the answer? Listen to your customers. Listen to what they say when they thank you for your products or services. Specifically, what do they appreciate? How did your product help them? Did it save them time, money, effort, re-work, etc? What value did they realize from your services? Did your services solve a problem quickly or did you simply provide much needed information? What did you do or provide that helped your customer move forward?

For some businesses, they benefit their customers by always having what their customers need when they need it; for others, they're the low-cost providers; for others, they're the 'experts' - no one does it better. The list could go on and on. The point is, the benefits I just identified above were not snazzy, flashy terms. They were basic. Not once did I say, Comprehensive, Full-service, Multi-disciplined, or some other grandiose, non- specific descriptor. Most customers won't refer to you as a full- service provider anyway, they'll say something like "There's nothing you guys don't know about widgets." That's quite a compliment and a nudge towards making you the 'Widget Experts'.

Whatever the answer to "Why you?"", it will help you target your marketing activities towards others who have similar needs. We all know we can't be all things to all people, so be the answer to those customers who will benefit the most from your products and services. By knowing your customers consider you the 'Widget Experts', you can now focus your marketing and sales efforts toward those who need a widget expert. You could even adjust some of your marketing materials to state: Have problems with your Widgets? We can help. We're the Widget Experts.

Our customers want to move forward and not deal with issues, headaches, and frustrations any longer than necessary. They want help and they'll pay for it. So why not be the answer they're seeking? Why you? Why not?

Copyright 2008,2004 - Liz Weber of Weber Business Services, LLC.
Liz speaks, consults, and trains on Leadership Development, Strategic Planning, and Organizational Change. Additional articles can be found at http://www.wbsllc.com/leadership.shtml
Liz can be reached at liz@wbsllc.com or(717)597-8890

Author's Bio: 

In the words of one client, "Liz Weber will help you see opportunities you never knew existed."

A sought-after consultant, speaker, and seminar/workshop presenter, Liz is known for her candor, insights, and her ability to make the complex "easy." She creates clarity for her audiences during her results-oriented presentations and training sessions.

Participants walk away from her sessions knowing how to implement the ideas she's shared not just once, but over and over to ensure continuous improvement and management growth and development.

This former Dragon Lady has been there, done it, and learned from it. Whether speaking to corporate executives or government agency personnel, Liz's comments and insights ring true.

As the President of Weber Business Services, LLC, a management consulting, training, and speaking firm headquartered near Harrisburg, PA, Liz and her team of consultants provide strategic and succession planning, management policy & systems development, employee training, as well as marketing and media outreach services.

Liz has supervised business activities in 139 countries and has consulted with organizations in over 20 countries. She has designed and facilitated conferences from Bangkok to Bonn and Tokyo to Tunis. Liz has taught for the Johns Hopkins University's Graduate School of Continuing Studies and currently teaches with the Georgetown University's Senior Executive Leadership Program.

Liz is the author of 'Leading From the Manager's Corner', and 'Don't Let 'Em Treat You Like a Girl - A Woman's Guide to Leadership Success (Tips from the Guys)'. Her 'Manager's Corner' column appears monthly in several trade publications and association newsletters.