Our clients are ‘brandwashed’ by myriad choices with minimal differentiation making the products or services indiscernible.
With limited space and time that we get with our ideal client, how do we ensure that we have made an impression in the category that we are in?
Find your sweet spot. Be sure of what mental space you want to occupy in their mind and make it your home, get cosy and then do whatever in your capacity to ensure you aren’t kicked out.
Whether you are a coach of any kind or run an online/offline store, your brand needs to be well positioned with a clear vision, concise meaning and within the parameters of relevance.
If you are a health coach for women entrepreneurs who are mommies, you would want that whenever a momtrepreneur is struggling with her health they think of you. You are on top of their mind and not lost behind layers of other brand messaging. This will also help you not go off track in your communication and business.
In order to find your space, you should ask yourself 3 questions:
- Who is your target market? What are their interests? What influences them? The more specific you are the better.
- What unique value do you provide that no one else in the world does? What service offering are you most confident in?
- Why should they believe you? How can you back it up with proof points?
For example, you can say that XYZ brand provides women entrepreneurs ages 30-45 with health coaching to stay fit, be energetic and maintain a work-life balance. As a mother of 3 children, a certified health coach and a vision to help women enjoy motherhood and be successful in their business.
With this in place, be sure you are consistent with using this while creating content, communication to your audience, while engaging and when you are working with them.
The reason to have the right place in their mind is simple:
– Product/service explosion
– Media explosion
– Advertising explosion
These days the choices are varied and differentiation minimal that we are often faced with indiscernible products/services.
A Cadbury occupies a different place in a consumer’s mind versus a Lindt, a Taco bell versus a Chipotle or an Apple versus Nokia. (there is no question of inferior/superior, but only of appropriate associations with a certain brand).
In order to understand what place you want your brand to occupy in your clients mind, I recommend the following steps:
- Narrowing the target audience i.e. who is the brand being built for.
- Knowing your competitor and identifying your niche which will help you know what you can deliver that you competitors cannot.
- Identify the points of difference or the benefits that your brand stands for and will deliver on. It could be appearance, performance, quality or better customer service.
- Be sure to have reasons for customers to believe by having proof points demonstrated.
Article by Tanushree Garg
