Over the years I’ve met many people who are new in business and are struggling to get going. They are finding the first few years really tough and are wondering when it will get easier. Why is this? I believe it’s because they are focusing on the tactics of marketing – the ‘how’ – without first spending any time thinking about the ‘what’ or the strategy behind their marketing. There are four elements that I think you need to consider and I’ll cover them all in my blogs this month, by talking about the mistakes that you need to avoid in your marketing.

Massive Marketing Mistake Number One – Being the Same as Everyone Else

In order to win business, you need to stand out from the crowd. To do this, you need to show potential clients why your business is different from your competitors.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard business owners say “My business is different because we’re the cheapest/best/most unique.” You can’t all be the cheapest or the best or the most unique!

Too many businesses don’t put enough effort into working out what really makes them different. You’ve probably heard of USPs – Unique Selling Propositions – and you might even have yours written down somewhere. But does it really show potential clients how you can help them better than another business? Does it connect with their emotions? We all make emotional decisions about what to buy and who to buy it from – not rational decisions. You need to know how your service helps people on an emotional level.

How do you avoid the first Massive Marketing Mistake?

Work out what really makes your business different – your Emotional USP (eUSP). There are six eUSPs and you can find out more about them in this blog. Have a read and decide which is yours; then think about how to use that information in all your marketing messages. Here’s an example:

I used to think that clients worked with me because marketing was a fun, exciting activity that they wanted to do. Wrong! Most of my clients don’t want to worry about their marketing – they just want someone to tell them what is the best marketing for them. They want the certainty of knowing that they get the best advice to help them build their reputation and bring in new clients. At first I thought that Certainty was a rather dull eUSP to have, until I started explaining to prospects that they could trust me to tell them like it is. Now I have a reputation for being straight talking and giving simple, practical advice that works.

So what really makes your business different? What is your emotional USP? Knowing it is a real foundation stone for a successful business and is something I will cover in the first part of my new four week course, Clients 4 Coaches, that starts on Tuesday 4 August 2020. Book your place now! There are only 4 places available every month so don’t miss out. Call me on 07773 252 744 or click here to email me.