Your weaknesses may actually be strengths…
By now, most students of business are familiar with Avis’ legendary marketing campaign launched in 1963. Still lagging behind the dominant player Hertz, Avis made a strategic decision to embrace its second place status. The phrase “We’re number two- we try harder” became ingrained in the corporate culture at Avis, turning the company from a barely discernible, middle-of-the-pack company into a major player in both the U.S. and European markets. Sales soared after the campaign was launched, and during the heady years of the campaign’s heyday, no one worked harder than Avis.
Avis decided to stop trying to be number one. Rather, it chose to embrace its position as number two. To the consumer, that meant a company striving, driving, and working harder to satisfy their needs. Avis is just one example of intelligent positioning driving sales.
There are other, more unfortunate examples of positioning where a company chose to embrace something they were not in a misguided attempt to compete. Coca-Cola, perhaps the biggest marketing success story of our lifetime, chose to release the sweeter “New Coke” in 1985 because it overreacted to the “Pepsi Challenge” campaign from its major competitor at the time. Rather than embrace their position as the less sweet, flagship American cola, Coca-Cola jumped too quickly to change their position.
The lessons are clear. As business owners, we must objectively analyze our capabilities and offerings and develop our position based upon that honest assessment. If you develop a clear position, and your clients and prospects understand it, your chances of capturing more ideal customers are good. If you try to be something you’re not, the consequences can be devastating.
As you analyze your business, take stock of what you may have thought of as your weaknesses. Are you a practice that only offers insurance products? Embrace that position—you are an expert at managing your clients’ risk. Are you working alone, without staff, from the trunk of your car? Embrace that position—no one gives more personal attention in your marketplace than you, and you love making house calls. Are you more comfortable and successful working with women? Embrace that position and become the advisor to women in your market.
In other words, find out who you are, and shout it from the rooftops. It’s often the simplest idea that makes the biggest impact on your sales!