How to Differentiate Yourself in Business

By Deb Bixler

If you are looking for new strategies for selling you need to know what it is that makes you shine above your competitors.

Knowing what makes your business truly unique is what will help you thrive with your customers rather than just blend with the masses. Find out what helps you differentiate your business from all others by knowing just where to look.

Direct Selling Strategies

What are your direct selling strategies?

Many business owners don’t realize that they are literally driving their business into the ground by using the same old selling tactics as everyone else.

If your direct selling strategy involves a twist- be it a link to a website tutorial or a cute magnet or pen that showcases your company name- then you are moving in the right direction to make sure that your business is truly different in its own way.

Don’t be afraid to narrow your niche down. When you firmly believe in what you are uniquely offering you can then attract the ideal customer. Many believe the opposite that a narrow niche will eliminate some leads.

We are taught in direct sales that you should be marketing to EVERYONE but really it is impossible for everyone to be your ideal customer. Define yourself better and you will be defining your customer better.

Your business personality is part of your direct selling strategies.

Consider Your Business Personality

How is your business’s personality? There are literally 100’s of methods of direct Selling so what makes you different?

What is your sales personality?

Is it upbeat and friendly like every other business in your industry, or does it take on a more serious tone?

Does your business reflect a common ‘tone’ expected of your niche? If so, you may want to consider differentation by way of creating a whole new personality for your business.

Perhaps taking a ‘green’ approach to something that is normally serious, or adding humor to a positive atmosphere can make all the difference for your business and make you really stand out. Or is it the budget lessons or healthy tips that you offer or even are you more controversial than most?

This is branding YOU, not just your direct sales company! You need to sell yourself first and your company second.

Simple direct selling strategies will help you stand out. For some people, differentation is no piece of cake.

However, there are smaller ways to make your business stand out so you can have the edge on your competition without having to change your whole direct sales strategy.

Try switching from business cards to key chains, hire someone to check your email so messages can be returned faster than your competition, and make sure that you are choosing terms for your product(s) that your competition isn’t using.

Sometimes, simply going from ‘organic’ to ‘healthy green’ can make all the difference.

Make sure that no matter what differentation tactic you choose to use, it isn’t so different that it actually compromises the message of your business. While you want to remain unique, you don’t want to sacrifice your business’s overall integrity just to make it stand out. You want to differentiate, not reinvent your image, after all.

How do you make your business stand out from the rest?