An article from your trusted creative partners.

Why your competitors are winning over your ideal clients.

Are your competitors getting more traction with a lesser service or product?

For companies like yours that are problem-solvers to their core, there is nothing more frustrating than developing a unique and outstanding service or product, only to discover that the marketplace doesn’t seem to be ready for it, or that your ideal client base remains stubbornly loyal to traditional services and products—ones that you believe fall short on delivering outcomes in a changing world.

During times like this, it’s tempting to go back to the R&D drawing board and make improvements; to invest further resources in research, refinements, and development regarding the service or product.

After all, perhaps if your services and products were just simpler and more streamlined, your ideal audience would actually “get it” and jump on board. Or in contrast, maybe if you redeveloped your offering for a wider application, it would be more compelling to a larger audience. 

There is a time and place for more development and improvement; however, investing more resources in R&D can quickly become a rabbit hole that doesn’t get you the success you’re aiming for.

The truth is that it’s likely not a lack of quality, ingenuity, or usefulness that is driving your ideal customers towards a second tier option.

While constant improvements, testing, and development are part of what you do, your missing piece may be a clear, compelling brand and communication strategy. Why should your audience base be excited about your brand and align themselves with you, as opposed to others?

Are you doing a great job at marketing your value to your target audience? Here are 3 core questions to help you find out:

  • Turn your focus from what you are making to who is receiving it and what’s in it for them. This is a brand-deep question. Remember, companies like yours that push the boundaries of what’s available and how things are done attract an equally innovative client base. 

    You know better than anyone how difficult it is to win over individuals and companies who are committed to traditional offerings, so instead, focus on clients who are already warmed up. Your brand doesn’t operate in the realm of what has worked just fine in the past, so focus on the potential clients who, like you, are looking for a solution that is smart, new, proven to work better than older alternatives, and aligns with their needs, values, and vision for their own companies or lives.

    Are you doing a good job at making the value for these clients crystal clear and compelling? It should be easy for them to feel intrigue, interest, relief, clarity, and excitement right away, no matter how they find you.

  • Get in touch with your hooks.

    If you’re speaking squarely to an audience that is already excited about the new possibilities you bring to the table in your industry, ask yourself these questions:

    • What will help them feel reassured that they’re making the right decision by going with you? 

    • What are the core benefits of your service or product from their standpoint? Why is it important for them that your offering is simpler, or more compact, or portable, or easy to deploy, or available offline, or whatever it is that sets you apart from the crowd?

    • What will make them realize that your solution is the puzzle piece they’ve been waiting for? 

    • What hesitations and concerns will they have and how can you address them efficiently and effectively?

  • Two common traps when it comes to marketing your true value are speaking above your audience’s technical understanding and assuming that they can see what you see right away.

    While your ideal clients are primed for your service or product and may have some technical understanding regarding the ingenuity of your solution, they do not have the same level of knowledge as you do. If you’re relying on logical, technical, or scientific hooks to win them over, you may find yourself speaking to an audience of glazed-over eyes. This doesn’t mean you’re speaking to the wrong audience; it simply means you aren’t speaking to their lived problem and desired solution.

    A key to developing a strong communication strategy is the art of “show, don’t tell”. In your case, it’s important to demonstrate to your audience in simple, clear ways how going with you is the smart, forward-thinking choice. You can become more technical as you need to. Always remember that it is the outcome and experience you’re offering for your audience that is most compelling for them, not the nuts and bolts of how your offering works.

    Are you consistently meeting your audience base where they’re at, in terms of the problem they face, the solution they want, and the challenges they experience?

Consider improving your brand and marketing before reinventing the wheel.

If this article resonates with you, it may be time to bring in experts who understand the value of what you have already created and aim to develop, help craft the hooks and creative assets that will appeal directly to your ideal audience, and develop effective communication strategies that will help you win over stakeholders. Never underestimate the power of positioning and marketing; these aspects are often just what our clients need to propel them to greater heights.

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