Loyalty doesn’t exist
Brand loyalty. Customer loyalty. They’re a nice couple of terms, but they don’t actually exist. Are your customers loyal to your brand? If they find a choice that works better, do they stay with you? If they find a choice that is cheaper, do they stay with you? If they find a choice that improves their lives, do they stay with you? The harsh answer is no. And that’s ok. Loyalty goes both ways. If your customers are not profitable anymore, do you stay with them? If your customers aren’t a…
Fits & Misfits
If you qualify your customers and prospects, you’re looking for the right Fits, so that you can help them thrive, and by extension, make your business thrive. If you’re looking to stand out in your market, you’ll be a Misfit. You’ll think, do and see things different —all to help your customers rise. You’ll be fine in not being what you’re expected to be: standard. And Misfits are also the ones who appreciate how you can make things better for them in new ways. After all, how can you stand…
Outperforming the competition
It won’t make your brand the leader. It even won’t guarantee you higher sales. And if you’ve heard that “strategy is a set of choices to outperform the competition”, don’t follow that advice. It’s bullshit. Strategy is not about “outperforming”, as many say —especially on LinkedIn. If it was about performance, why would a business be preferred over others when they underperform? Take Apple, and even their other side in Samsung. Can you find companies that perform better? Yes. Do they get…
What does it take to stand out?
Ask yourself these questions How the hell do I get to better serve my customers? What questions do I answer? What questions do I make? Don’t (over)think them. Just write them down as they come. Don’t filter them. Once you got them, take some tea —or coffee, or your drink of choice— and explain each of those. Again, don’t look for the right words. It’s about a feeling first. You’ll have time for wordsmithing. Once you have those 3 questions answered, take a day to not look at them. And after…
Reversing
Yesterday’s message was an example of what a set of assumptions —in this case, the industry I’m in— looks like. The next step about this is going all the way to the opposite. To reverse the norms, the expectations, the standard. Not to say exactly what it’d look like in reality, but to push boundaries and for you to go crazy. To go all in. Without fear of consequences. Because this is the part of the exercise that can show you glimpses of how far you could go. How you could make yourself (or…
You’re more expensive than your competition.
Yes, I am. [Silence]. What you’re looking for with this answer and this extremely uncomfortable silence: the reaction that will unfold what’s really behind the price objection. In this game, the one who speaks first, loses. ○ Why is this so expensive?♠ Based on situations like these and businesses like yours, that’s the price.○ So, if we were bigger/smaller the price would be different?♠ Yes. If you were bigger, the price would be higher. ○ What are your costs?♠ I’m curious, how would this…
Justifying yourself. A breakdown.
Justifying yourself Someone is telling you “you’re too expensive” and they compare your product or service to the competition.[Here’s what you should do:]Ask them, “If I charge the exact same amount as my competitor, would you go with me or with them?” In customers’ language it means: If I go as low as them, will you buy from me? (pretty, pretty please? I’m willing to do it.) You’re setting the context at the bottom, in your competition’s playfield. With their rules. With your customer’s…
About your brand
Today’s message comes from friend-of-the-list and fellow emailer Russell Wadlin, from TailWhip. Your brand. Don’t talk about it.Be about it.✌️ —Russell.
It’s not about *your* worth
When you do work, you’re not supposed to charge “what you’re worth”. That’s irrelevant. What’s relevant is how you can figure out what’s worth to your customer. ‘Cause when you figure that out, you both can focus on the real thing that will move the needle. You’ll make more educated decisions. You’ll work together to get to that thing as fast. When you know what they value, and deliver, they’ll be delighted. And they’ll be happy to pay what you never considered before. What you charge will be…
5 guys, kids and hot dogs
These are 3 types of tricks our brains play in communication. 5 guys Using the same words, yet talking of (or at least thinking of) different things. If you don’t ask to clarify… things can (will) go sideways. Spend less time with your kids Hearing something weird and just assuming it is what you think you heard. That can also bring weird moments if you don’t dive deeper into what’s that you just heard. It could be “Spend less time with your kids”… or “Spend less time with dickheads”. The…