Standing out from the crowd will nearly always get you a lot of sales. But you have to stand out for all the right reasons. As a startup, you have to operate on your originality. It’s the main advantage you have over any other business. Use your small business working capital to give yourself an edge that no other company has.
Yet there are so many companies that do this wrong. You’re going to learn how to stand out for all the right reasons.
Be Authentic
Understand that 70% of buyers are making purchasing decisions to solve problems. That doesn’t mean you can get away with being fake. One of the main characteristics of the latest buying generation is they will walk away if they feel a company isn’t being authentic. They can smell it from a mile away and they won’t hesitate to find someone else.
An authentic purpose will always win the day because people will learn to trust you. Anything you do should be real. Believe it or not, this is something a lot of big corporations have yet to achieve. The simple act of being authentic and trustworthy will make you stand out.
Set Yourself Apart with Your Story
You’ve likely heard about the importance of storytelling for marketing before. Content marketing thrives off it because there are no wasted marketing dollars here. Set yourself apart with your story because this is something nobody else has a chance of replicating. No company has exactly the same story, so leverage it.
The best brands make it the heart of their marketing campaigns. It isn’t just a part of their brand it is their brand. Think about why people would be interested in your story and pick out the best parts.
Telling your signature story in a way that interests people will take you a long way.
Is Your Product Designed with a Purpose in Mind?
A purpose is your brand’s overall mission. The consumer of yesterday wanted a good deal and nothing else. They only cared about your product and nothing else. The consumer of today wants to feel like they’re doing a good deed. They want to support companies that are acting to change the world for the better in their name.
During the great recession of 2008 and 2009, many companies that kept their customers did so because they were seen as ‘good’. They did things by the book and they wanted to make the world a better place. Customers respond to that, so think about how your product can be designed with a purpose.
And if you can’t think of anything think about a cause you can support using the proceeds of your sales. Make it a part of your company’s story. This is what a lot of charities do when they sell products. The whole emphasis is on what they do with the money, rather than the product.
Any company can do this without becoming a fully-fledged charity.
Have a Mission
Designing your product is one thing, but you need to have some sort of stated mission. Consumers want to feel great when they purchase something. As previously mentioned, they want to give their money to a company that’s going to make the world a better place in their name.
From an objective point of view, this is a form of added value. It’s like a ‘buy one get one free’ offer. This is added value that the customers of today value. With millennials making up such a big part of the workforce, the focus has shifted from getting a good deal financially to the added value that a product or service can bring.
Again, make your mission the heart of your company. Make it the main thing that drives your company forward. Just make sure you’re being genuine when you execute your mission.
Do You Need to Have a Unique Product to Bank Sales?
This is what so many startups fail to grasp. You don’t need to have a completely unique product to win more sales. There are many companies with similar offerings, but some do much better than others. Think about the added value working with your company can bring. That’s what will make you stand out.
Last Word – Be Consistent
Following these tips is just the beginning. You need to do them consistently if you’re going to win people to your cause. The most skilled entrepreneurs continue to make authenticity and added value the main facet of their company for years. That’s how you get people to keep coming back.
