Take a Fresh Approach

Today I drove by a sign that caught my eye. Dominating the sign in large, block letters clearly printed on a white background was “25¢.” Underneath in small letters was printed “sale.”

“What a fresh approach!” I thought as I continued on my way.

Now I did not follow the arrow on the sign and check out the sale. However, I assume, probably correctly, that someone was selling stuff that he or she did not want. Instead of calling the sale what everyone else calls a sale of that sort, either a garage or a thrift sale, this person wisely gave the sale a different name. This person called the sale a “25¢ sale.”

While many items on garage or thrift sales are 25 cents or less, calling the sale a 25 cent sale immediately caught the attention of anyone who saw the sign. That amount of money made me think, “Hey, that’s cheap! Anyone could afford 25 cents.”

Others reading the sign probably thought likewise.

With a garage or thrift sale sign seemingly on every corner lately, this sign also set the sale apart from its competition of other garage or thrift sales. A sale dubbed “garage” or “thrift” sale immediately suggests old, used stuff that someone else does not want. I know that you can find treasures at garage and thrift sales, but you can also find a great deal of stuff that you do not want.

Since this 25 cent sale did not use either “garage” or “thrift” sale on its sign, I have no idea what items were being sold. The mystery of what was on sale was intriguing. Whereas I usually suggest telling as much as you can about your product or service, piquing interest by telling less is an effective marketing technique, particularly when what you tell directly appeals to what your customer wants.

Customers who are attracted to a garage or a thrift sale are interested in something that is cheap, hopefully unbelievably cheap. When a sign speaks to what they want, cheap, that sign gets their attention. A sign that gets their attention has a high likelihood of prompting them to check out the sale, and, ideally, their doing so increases sales. That makes the sign’s fresh approach profitable marketing.

Look at what your customer wants and what you offer. How can you rephrase your communications to speak to what your customer wants?

Just like the person running the “25¢ sale,” break away from the pack and position your business differently from your competition.

Take a fresh approach.

How to Handle Your Competition

Last week, diving and swooping, hummingbirds sped past my kitchen window. I love to watch them feed. Their antics are laughable. If you have had the opportunity to watch them, you understand. They constantly fight over the feeder. Although the feeder has four “blossoms” which potentially allow four birds to feed at one time, in reality only one does. Occasionally, two will. Once or twice I have seen three. Never have I seen four.

More likely, I am entertained by one bird chasing another away from the feeder. Each bird will go to great lengths to force another bird from the feeder so that it alone may feed. I have seen one dive-bomb another who had settled at the feeder. I have seen one approaching the feeder get chased away by another suddenly flying past. I actually have seen one peck at the back of another which was feeding. They focus so much on getting the other birds away from the feeder that I often wonder how they get the chance to feed. Judging from my daily changing of the feeder, however, I know that they do.

One of my neighbors took down her feeder because she dubbed these birds “mean.” I disagree. These birds are merely being themselves. They remind me of some business people I have met.

These business people are always concerned about what their competition is doing. What is the competition’s latest promotion? What is the competition’s newest line? How are the competition’s sales? Rather than focusing on their customers, these business people spend their time focusing on their competition. Like the hummingbirds, they want to chase the competition away from their customers.

These business people want their customers all to themselves.

While that is understandable, it is not realistic. Customers may also check out and/or do business with your competition. Accept that fact. Know your competition so that you understand why your customer might do business there. After that, focus on your customer. Focusing on your competition too much takes your focus off your customer.

Be like the hummingbirds who fed the most. They sat at the feeder, focused on imbibing the rich liquid, and ignored the competition which attempted to chase them away. The best way to "beat" your competition is to focus on your customer, give that customer what he or she wants, and keep the customer coming back to do business with you time after time.

After all, your revenue comes from your customer, not your competition, doesn't it?