Do you know your competitive advantage over your competitors?
It’s very understandable if you don’t. As many subject matter experts never really had to think about it. They would “just” offer services to the clients who needed them.
However, times are changing…
The fast-paced rise of machine learning and artificial intelligence is enabling new competitors to enter your market and empowering your clients to do more work themselves – instead of hiring you.
So, it’s critical to contemplate the fundamental question: Why would my clients keep hiring me? What’s my competitive advantage? How do I stand out from the competition – (wo)man or machine?
Understanding your core values, is one way to do it. These values provide guidance and direction with everything you do. They make you you.
Recently, I learned about another way to uncover your competitive edge:
Asking for your non-obvious advantages.
Christ Coolen introduced me to this concept during his Marketing Psychology Event in October.
Where fastest (for a computer program), safest (for a bank), or most trusted (for a lawyer) are logical benefits for your services, non-obvious advantages are the psycho-logical merits.
This got me thinking…
Understanding your non-obvious advantage allows you to differentiate yourself from the competition. These advantages are your distinctive capability. That what makes you stand out.
So, the next time you meet a client, ask them:
“Without a doubt you had certain expectations when you hired us. I hope we delivered on them. I’m also curious… What did we deliver that you had NOT expected in the first place?”
Hope this helps!
Thank you for reading Nudge #035, sent to busy subject matter experts on October 29, 2024.
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