Get Weird to Grow Faster

 Let’s talk about why you want to get weird, and be different.

You are one of a kind.  Truly – in the great big world there is no one else exactly like you.  Even if you were an identical twin, raised in the same household, the moment you are born you have different experiences that shape who you are.

So, if you tap into who YOU are rather than trying to be THEM – you have no competition.

Also by being unique and really speaking to your ideal clients rather than trying to be all things to all people, you will naturally attract the customers best suited to your business , and repel those that aren’t a fit.

If anyone noticed the comments on this event post, you will see the perfect example of that.  There was a woman in the comments that felt offended by the title of this LIVE training.  She said she wasn’t a weirdo and didn’t appreciate being called one.

I told her it probably wasn’t a good fit for her, and she’d probably be best to skip it.  

By using an offbeat title rather than the usual conservative type of description you might see for a training like this, I gave her some insight into whether we were a good fit right from the get go.  She is clearly not going to appreciate this subject matter, or my style of communicating, so she is better served to find another training that better suits her.

So don’t be afraid to dive into what makes your business unique, different, or weird and show it to the world.  You will find your people that way.

But there is another compelling reason for you to cultivate your uniqueness, and that is to be different enough from everyone else to cut through the noise.

We are all so overwhelmed with marketing messages these days that no matter how great your message is or how widely you advertise it, if you don’t stand out in some way your message just doesn’t get heard.  So often it’s the new, the different, the unique that catches people's attention.  I want you to think about what message your ideal clients are hearing most often from your competitors and make sure you aren’t using those same messages.  

Think about an autobody car repair shop – you constantly hear – we give the best service, the best prices, we care about our customers, blah blah blah.

But then every now and then something stands out – what if you heard the message “ we don’t want to see you in our shop”. 

Huh?  That’s different – that gets your attention.  The rest of the message once they get your attention is that they are going to give you a free vehicle health check on every visit to make sure that you are in to visit them as little as possible because your car belongs on the road and not in their shop.  It got your attention long enough to deliver the message you needed to hear.

So, think about what your message is and how you deliver it and what you could do that would stop people on their tracks and make you stand out.

So, let’s look at how you can use your uniqueness to set you apart from everyone else – even doing something very similar to you.

If you have a business that’s doing exactly the same thing as another business, you will still attract a different market because you are different from the other person.  Let’s say you are a business coach – there are lots of different business coaches, but they might focus on different types of businesses.  Okay, but let’s say you both focus on coaching online businesses?  Well, they might be heavy into mindset and personal development, and you might be more into business strategy.  

But let’s say you both coach online businesses, AND you both focus on mindset.  You are still going to attract different clients – you have different personalities that shine through your marketing – she may be very woo woo and glittery, you might be very no nonsense, say what you mean, and you are going to be the right fit for two very different types of people.

So, by just being authentic and building your business based on your values and your truth, you will naturally create your own space, and attract your ideal clients.

But let’s set that aside for a minute and let’s talk about making your differences and even your perceived weaknesses the thing that actually helps you grow.

I absolutely LOVE this exercise and it completely transformed how I rebranded one of my companies when I flipped the script with this.

I want you to do a quick competitor analysis and look at your top three competitors and compare your business to theirs.

Now I want you to make a list of 5 things that you consider a weakness in comparison, something they have that you don’t, or they can do that you can’t.

I’ll give you an example.

My biggest competition for my promo company sells their products through a website.  They are international, they have little customer service so they can undercut pretty much everyone else’s prices, people can shop with them from anywhere in North America if they have internet access and they have pretty quick service. 

So what do I do differently? Even if it might be perceived as a weakness.

1. You can not shop our products online 24/7
2. We don’t advertise on tv or radio
3. You can’t order our products in a few minutes online

There’s more – but let’s start with those.

Now how can I use those things that make us different as a selling feature?

1. You can’t shop our products online 24/7 – how is that a good thing?  Because what we carry isn’t available to every single person in North America from any computer at every desk.  Do you want the same promo item that everyone has? Or do you want something unique, that everyone hasn’t seen already a dozen times.  

So not being online is an advantage if my client wants unique products.

1. We don’t advertise – how is that a good thing?  We are exclusive.  We don’t work with just anyone.  If we work with you it’s because you were referred to us by someone we both know and trust, or we reached out to you directly because we thought you would be a good fit. Being exclusive is a very powerful marketing tool and my competitors that are available inline 24/7 can’t be that.

1. You can’t order our products in a few clicks online.  That’s good because promotional products are “slow marketing”. A banner ad online or tv ad are instant, they are here and gone in seconds.  Promotional products are meant to be kept, appreciated, and enjoyed by the recipient for months or years.  And it takes time to choose the right product, it takes time to get it produced and then more time to get it in the hand of your end user – so slow marketing takes time and thought to get it right – you don’t want to order it online in a few clicks.  You want experienced experts that will help you find exactly the right product for your project so you can make that lasting impact.

So those are some examples of how you can take something that’s perceived as a negative and make them a positive.  Let’s look at some of your differences and how we can flip them – tell me in the comments what you do and what one of the biggest differences is between you and your top competitors?

And it doesn’t always have to be a weakness – something it is just a difference, sometimes it’s a seemingly unrelated skill or knowledge.  You love to travel and you have an art degree?  Maybe you start offering retreats to locations around the world with incredible museums and art installations for people who are passionate about art and want that experience with you.

 What is unique about you and how can you utilize that in your business to make it stand out and apart from the competition?

So that’s your one step for this week.

List 5 things that are different about your company in comparison to your competitors and flip the script on how those things might actually be a selling point.

They are big companies?  Then they can’t move as quickly as you can to jump on new trends.

They have a huge selection of products?  You aren’t overwhelming your clients – you only carry the best or most carefully curated lines.

And bonus points if you also look for some skills, interest or expertise that is unique to you that you can utilize in your business to create your own niche.

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