Let’s face it – no matter if you’re a winemaker, tourism operator, chef, hotelier, restaurant proprietor or gourmet food producer, there is somebody out there doing the same thing as you right now!
More people are starting and running businesses today than in any other moment in history, so your business needs something that will set it apart from your competitors and keep you top of mind of your customers – a secret sauce, if you will.
Ever heard the saying… “Differentiate, or die!”
Never has this phrase been more significant to business success than today.
Why You Need a Secret Sauce
No matter if selling a product or service – finding a point of difference from your competitors, something that makes you distinctive is simply essential in a crowded market place.
You have to set your brand apart and ensure that in the minds of your target audience your business is the only or at least, best choice – one that deserves their time, trust and money.
For consumers, too much choice can cause stress.
That’s why it is your job to assist them by making your unique selling proposition obvious and memorable so that they can see exactly what your business has to offer over your competitors.
Typically in marketing speak, the basis for this differentiation is a strong unique selling proposition or USP.
I simply call it – the secret sauce.
Some others call it your reason-to-believe, others your Why.
There are probably dozens of other academic marketing terms, but whatever you choose to call it – it does need to differentiate you from the pack.
Figuring out your secret sauce though can be pretty tough.
Creating a Secret Sauce that Works
When I ask people what is unique about their business, most are not clear on what, if anything, makes it special.
Oh sure, there’s always the vague references to ‘quality’ or some such, but all too often there’s no understanding of what’s truly unique.
That being said, there really is no one size fits all method of creating and communicating your secret sauce, but there are certainly ideas that work.
So let’s look at the 4 ingredients that will assist you to create your secret sauce.
Ingredient 1 – Define your Why
People don’t buy WHAT you do, the buy WHY you do it – Simon Sinek
Most people in your business can articulate the ‘What you do’ and the ‘How you do it’, but the ‘Why you do it’ usually comes up with vague responses such as ‘money’.
Money is a motivator, but it’s not really the WHY. Let’s be honest, if you just wanted money, I’m sure you could find easier ways than running a business to do it!
The WHY covers things such as what’s your business purpose, your cause, your core values, what inspires you?
Businesses that can articulate the WHY usually see it permeate right through their business from the CEO through to the Receptionist, Winemaker through to the Marketer, Chef through to the Waitperson AND right through to the target customer.
Rehn Bier, an artisan nano brewery in the Barossa put their About Us Page to good use by setting themselves apart from their competitors and explaining clearly their WHY –
It’s our ambition to deliver an alternative to the bland, generic lager that has dominated the brewing industry for the last 30 years.
They even put it under the WHY section on their website – just to ensure clarity of the message to the consumer.
Ingredient 2 – Add your Personality
If you’re the primary owner of a business, injecting your personality into many aspects of your business can make a powerful difference.
Serial Entrepreneur, Richard Branson or fabulous foodie Maggie Beer are great examples of this approach.
Even if you’re not the primary business owner, there are still ways to add personality to your brand.
More and more, consumers are rejecting the ‘factory style’ approach and want to see personality even from the big companies. And yes, you can still be a global brand and perceived as personal.
Ingredient 3 – Know your Audience
Knowing your target customer is one of the first steps on reaching them on a personal level.
Your secret sauce must be relevant to your target market. This means your target market (or ideal customer) must be identified and clearly defined.
Ingredient 4 – Be your Best
In an overcrowded market place, it’s not always possible to be THE best, so strive to be your best and set yourself apart from the pack by merely being different.
Think about it this way – if you own a restaurant, how likely is it that you will win the prestigious Top Restaurant award. Given the subjective tastes of people, being the best restaurant in town requires a lot of effort and can be less fruitful than say, becoming THE place to go to in town for the Best ………………………
First seek to be your best by doing it differently rather than trying to simply be the best in a crowded category.
The idea is that the competition won’t be as much of a concern if you change the rules of the game.
Once you have clearly defined and can articulate your secret sauce it will help you to craft your brand’s voice, design, and content in a way that will reach your target customers as effectively as possible and set you apart from your competitors.
What’s your secret sauce?
