©2011 RAN ONE Americas

Participants Guide

Unique Core Differentiators

©2011 RAN ONE Americas

Unique Core Differentiators

Perception is the reality-people buy based on differences They Perceive. It's the differences that potential customers perceive that make them choose one business over another. And those differences make the customer feel more confident about their final decision as well. Unique Core Differentiators (UCDs) clearly articulate what makes your business different. They are the special things about your product or service or business that compels customers to buy from you rather than your competitors. Well-formed differentiators target your customer's 'hot buttons,' real buying concerns, or key frustrations. In one statement it educates them about exactly why they should buy from you. This topic will help you to identify or create your own UCD's and will provide strategies for ensuring that all of your marketing efforts clearly articulate why you are unique and why customers should buy from you.

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Talk to your RAN ONE Business Advisor about the services they have to assist you NOTE: Some slides may be different from the video used.

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Unique Core Differentiators

CREATING YOUR UNIQUE CORE DIFFERENTIATORS

Perception Is The Reality

• Displays the Café name & year established in window. • It’s clean, a has good range of food items.

Perception Is The Reality—People Buy Based On Differences They Perceive

Example of Café on left

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Unique Core Differentiators

• Displays passion for food in window, explains what you can expect from your experience

• Packed with smiling people, clean, good range of food

Perception Is The Reality—People Buy Based On Differences They Perceive

Example of Café on right

Which cafe’ would you choose? Why?

Perception Is The Reality

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Unique Core Differentiators

Perception Is The Reality

• It’s the differences that potential customers perceive that make them choose one business over another

• You must differentiate your business—

developing Unique Core Differentiators (UCDs).

What makes your business different

Unique Core Differentiators

• Powerful UCDs target real buying concerns, frustrations or desires

• They form the ―core‖ of your business, permeating every area

• Your UCDs must be communicated in all of your marketing activities

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Unique Core Differentiators

Do You Have Any Unique Core Differentiators?

• What are the things that are unique about your own business

• Write them down for later

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UCDs are powerful in five ways

UCDs are powerful in five key ways

1. They articulate exactly what your customer wants

2. The improve the results of your marketing efforts

3. They give a specific focus for your team

4. They improve operations within your business

5. They help increase your sales

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Unique Core Differentiators

―Absolutely, positively overnight!‖ – Federal Express

Some more examples of UCDs

• Dentist: ―"We guarantee that you will have a comfortable experience and never have to wait more than 15 minutes" or you will receive a free exam.‖

• Construction company: ―We will pay you $100 for every day we go over the targeted completion date‖

Three types of UCDs

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Unique Core Differentiators

Something genuinely unique that already exists in your product or

services

1. Actual UCDs

Something new that you develop to fill a customer

need

2. Created UCDs

Something your

competitors also DO, but have NOT articulated

3. Perceived UCDs

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Unique Core Differentiators

Finding your own UCDs

Take out your UCD list.

Now look at it from your customers’ perspective

• What benefit are you providing?

• What key frustration are you removing?

• What are you willing to go the extra mile on to differentiate yourself?

• What is something that everyone in your industry is required to do, but no one articulates as a UCD?‖

―Absolutely, positively overnight!‖ – Federal Express

"We guarantee that you will have a comfortable experience and never have to wait more than

15 minutes or receive a free exam‖.

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Unique Core Differentiators

Your own UCD doesn't have

to be original...

it just simply needs to set you apart

from everyone else‖.

Your own UCDs

Ask these three questions

• Which benefits are the most important to my customer?

• Which benefits are the most difficult for my competitors to imitate?

• Which benefits can be the most easily understood by my customers?

Your own UCDs

A good UCD should be:

• Only one sentence.

• Clearly written so that everyone can understand it.

• Composed of benefits that are unique to your company or product.

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Unique Core Differentiators

Fresh hot pizza

delivered to your door in thirty

minutes or less,

guaranteed

Finding your own UCDs…Ask Your Team

Ask you team members what they think

• Ask your team members what they think

• They may have a different perspective

• Often they have more daily contact with customers and know their needs/frustrations

Add any new UCDs to your master list

Have someone ask you!

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Unique Core Differentiators

Finding your UCDs…Have someone ask you

Have them ask probing questions like:

• ―What happens in your business every day…from start to finish‖

• ―Why do you do it that way?‖

• ―Why do you think people buy from you?‖

Add any new UCDs to your master list

It’s important to know yourself

Ask your customers

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Unique Core Differentiators

Finding your UCDs…Ask your customers

Let’s them feel involved and important to you:

• ―Why did you decide to purchase from us?‖

• ―What differences did you notice between our business and other providers of the same product/service?‖

• ―What were the top 3 things that mattered most to you when you were selecting which business to make your purchase from?‖

• ―Were you happy with your experience purchasing from our business? —What can we do to improve the experience for you?‖

Add any new UCDs to your master list

Know your customers

Know your

competition

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Unique Core Differentiators

Be honest

steps to discovering your UCD

Finding your UCDs…Analysing the results

7 steps to discovering your UCD

1. Use your 3 biggest benefits

2. Be unique

3. Solve An Industry "Pain Point" Or "Performance Gap‖

4. Be specific and offer proof

5. Condense into one clear and concise sentence

6. Integrate your UCD into ALL marketing materials

7. Deliver on your UCD’s promise

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Unique Core Differentiators

Built to last

Shout your UCDs from the rooftop

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Unique Core Differentiators

What have we learnt?

• Perception is the reality – people buy based on the differences they perceive

• UCDs are those things that clearly articulate what makes your business different by targeting concerns, frustrations and desires

• You must make your business stand out by developing, integrating and communicating your UCDs

• There are three types of UCD’s: Actual, Created and Perceived

What else have we learnt?

• To find your UCDs, talk to your team, have someone interview you, and get input from your customers

• Make sure your UCDs are the focus of your business and your marketing efforts

Next steps