How email flips the script on differentiation

👉 breaking the rules on what works

When I first started learning about marketing I discovered a few things about differentiation.

1. Apparently, Dominos is the only case study anyone ever uses :)

2. Certain types of differentiation that you might think would be powerful are actually quite weak.

An example of the latter is “great customer service”. Something like that should never be the way you differentiate yourself.

Why?

Because everyone says they have great service. So no one believes it.

A bit like the dozens of places who claimed they made the “best coffee in London” I saw when I visited a couple of weeks ago.

Instead you need something obvious and provable. A focus on a specific niche. A unique methodology. A service no one else offers.

But what if you really do have great customer service? Or if you really do understand your clients better? Or if your strategy insights really are deeper?

Tough.

At least if you do differentiation the traditional way.

Traditional differentiation focuses on setting you apart and giving potential clients a reason to hire you if they have no experience with you.

Repeat clients will hire you because of your great service, your better understanding of them and your deeper insights because they’ve experienced it, so they believe it.

But potential clients who’ve not worked with you won’t - because anyone can make those claims. So - in theory - you need to focus on differences they can see that not everyone can claim.

At least that’s how traditional differentiation sees it.

But what that view misses is that you can demonstrate many things before someone becomes a client through the relationship you build with them.

It’s why smart lead generation focuses on proving the ways you’re better before someone works with you.

Your people are nicer and better to work with? Get them out networking, meeting potential clients and proving it.

You have deeper insights and better ideas on strategy than anyone else? Prove it by writing and presenting those ideas to potential clients.

And perhaps the very best way to flip the script on differentiation is email.

Hiring someone is a big step.

Before someone will hire you to work with them on their strategy they’re going to need to see some pretty strong evidence as to why you’re a better choice than anyone else. It’s similar for any other high value product or service.

But signing up to get emails from you? Not such a big step.

The promise of some insight or useful information is enough.

And once they’re on your email list your regular newsletter is the perfect way to prove to them that you know your stuff. That your ideas on strategy are new, different and valuable (or whatever your “thing” is).

If people are getting emails from you every week you have a chance to build a relationship. To show them how responsive you are, how insightful you are, what great results you get.

All the things people wouldn’t believe if you just claimed them they will believe if you demonstrate them through your regular emails.

Email allows you to differentiate in ways the traditionalists reckon don’t work.

Because email isn’t just about telling people how you’re different. It’s about demonstrating it.

- Ian