How to eliminate your competition

Let’s talk about competition.

Competition is a bit like Bran Flakes - it feels like a shit thing to have all the time, but boy, if it doesn’t help get things moving.

Forty percent of businesses in the UK get their revenue through B2B relationships - and a lot of them offer very similar products and services. 

Believe it or not, though, the problem with competition is less that all of the contestants are vying for the same set of prizes; it’s that the vast majority of contestants look and sound the same.

There are instances where a uniform voice can be a benefit - gospel choirs, Daleks, and Daily Mail columnists are three notable examples - but serious businesses aren’t one of them.

Unless you have an extensive - and generous - referral network, you’re reliant on creating a distinct presence in the marketplace. You need to be the head-turner at the party; the mic drop at the awards ceremony; the Ronan Keating in the Boyzone.

Potential buyers need to understand, as soon as they see you, that you have the solution to their specific problem.

The question, then, is how?

How do you get your foot in the door and get to the consideration stage, when there are so many other feet in the way?

Ultimately, buyers want to be confident that their supplier understands their needs, has experience in solving them, and is going to provide good value for the money they charge. 

The way you provide that confidence is simple - with clear, concise messaging that respects your customer’s time. Because, just like every other exec in the world, your buyers are busy people with limited time to spend on supplier research.

So let them get to the meat of what you do, and the results you can offer them, without having to make them work for it. Make sure your messaging - across your website, social media, advertisements, and everywhere else - is crystal clear and to the point.

That means, from your tagline up, being less: ‘We are a collective of passionate free-thinkers cresting the waves of digital excellence’,

And more: ‘We are specialists in digital communications.’

Don’t forget what your website, adverts, brochures, and other sales collateral actually exist for: to be a written representation of your company.

Clear, concise statements qualifying your skills and experience are far more effective representatives than paragraphs of obtuse, open-ended self-description. Your collateral should make your reader want to buy from you, not write a review on GoodReads. 

By directly providing potential clients with the information they actually need to evaluate you, you’re already making yourself more appealing than companies who don’t.

So cut the waffle, and you’re cutting the competition, too. Simple.