Author Steven Van Yoder of "Get Slightly Famous" has this to say -
Demonstrate Mastery:
You will get more business with less effort if you demonstrate that your company is the most qualified candidate for the job. Do this by building credibility into your marketing strategy that demonstrates to prospects that you are the best, most qualified person or company among competing alternatives.
Today's consumers are more discerning and skeptical than ever before. We've heard every outrageous claim imaginable. We don't want to get taken. Against this backdrop, merely doing good work is not good enough anymore.
The lion’s share of business in any industry will go to those who have deliberately postioned themselves at the top of their fields by repeatedly demonstrating their mastery in their marketplace.
Be Decidedly Different
In today's global marketplace, where everyone competes for each others’ business, the result has been an amazing proliferation of product choices in almost every category imaginable.
The existence of so many good alternatives means that you must understand your companies uniqueness. If you try to be everything to everybody, it quickly undermines what makes you different in the minds of your customers.
In this new, hyper-competitive world you need a unique selling proposition to stand out from the crowd and rise above the clutter.
You must begin to see your business as special--as expert providers of a product and service that is not merely "run of the mill." The process starts with by taking these steps:
Take stock of your expertise
Commit to lifelong learning
Establish and articulate a viewpoint
Go beyond yourself to support your ideas
Give away your expertise in articles, books, and other information products.
Next, you need a strategy that establishes your credibility in the eyes of your potential customers. This can be accomplished by appearing in contexts that lend credibility to your marketing efforts.
Take Charge Of How Others See You
Contrary to what many think, your business "identity," "reputation," or "image" is within your control. This is the time to distinguish yourself as the pre-eminent source of solutions by refining your expertise and conveying it to your target audience. You must convey that you know more about something, or be better at something, than anyone else.
When you can honestly deliver such a message, potential customers and clients see you as the obvious answer to their problems and challenges, and the logical choice when they're deciding on whom to give their business.
Be proactive and strategic. Chart a course for how you want to be perceived in your marketplace. Avoid costly "image-building" tactics-- large space ads, slick corporate brochures and other marketing communications that drain your budget without producing measurable results.
Instead, pursue credibility marketing strategies that show the world you are an industry expert. There are many ways to do this that don't cost a lot of money, including giving a talk at a local business group, writing an article for a trade publication or producing an informational product that shows you have what it takes to solve clients’ problems.
The more you become known as a source of expert information, the more potential customers trust you. You become part of their world, a center of influence, and because people like to do business with people they know, or know of, you will be their first choice.
Centers of influence are always "present" within their target markets. Visibility is part of their formula, so they cultivate opportunities to be seen, read, and heard by the people who matter most. They make sure their prospects hear from them on a regular basis.
________________________________________________________________________________
This article was written by Steven Van Yoder, author of Get Slight Famous: Become a Celebrity in Your Field and Attract More Business with Less Effort. Visit www.getslightlyfamous.com.
________________________________________________________________________________
Hone your skills for work and family and you hone them for living life to the fullest
(c)Vanette Ryanes
