BIZ: CHAPTER 7
video #1
STAND OUT IN THE CROWD: DIFFERENTIATION
We have touched on this idea a bit through your Values Brainstorm, but now it is time to dig deeper. In the city of San Francisco alone, there are over 700 personal trainer listings on Yelp! So it goes without saying that the options for our customers are EXPANSIVE. What will you do to guarantee that you and your business stand out as the obvious choice for your niche client? The defining qualities of your business are often called your Unique Selling Position (USP), your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) or simply your differentiators. Starting with your leading list of values and your mission statement, I want you to come up with a set of exact details that will push your brand and practice ahead of EVERY other option in your market.
Dig deep, far below the surface of the obvious! When I ask most trainers what truly differentiates their business from their competitors, a common answer is that they ‘truly live what they preach’. That is a wonderful quality as a personal trainer, but don’t you agree that MOST good trainers are doing that? Let’s hope so! Dig deeper than that. HOW do you live the life? WHY do you live the life in a unique way based on your experiences and expertise? Keep in mind your niche client, your current market, your leading competitors and what customer needs they are not meeting as you devise this bar setting list.
EXERCISE
Answer these questions...
Being as specific as possible, list the features and benefits that are unique about your product(s) or service(s).
Based on your client’s leading priorities, goals, and challenges, what exact education, experience, skillset or tools do you possess and offer in your business that would greatly help them with achieving success?
Considering the more specific details of your products and services, are there specific areas where your offerings are stronger or more attractive than your competitors’ products and services?
Now take the responses from the above questions and select your leading 1-3 differentiators. Ideally these should not only be memorable, but also should be difficult for someone else to copy.
Based on the goals of your clients, and considering the strengths of your main competitors, where are the missed opportunities, where can you create new differentiators that you/they do not currently have?
