Month: February 2014

In an earlier post I related my experience with a carpet cleaner who just wanted more people to phone him. But you may recall that he was giving prospects no good reason to call him rather than his competitors. In other words, he had no ‘Unique Selling Proposition’ as it’s called. Or as I sometimes prefer to call it a ‘Unique Buying Advantage.’

It’s very difficult for carpet cleaners to have an objective look at their own businesses and see what the customer sees. So I thought it would be helpful to consider myself as the prospect for a change.

Here’s my recent experience trying to find an optician for an eye test:

Now my perception of an eye test is very similar to my prospective clients’ view of carpet cleaning. ie: it’s all the same. So I wondered…why should I choose one optician over another?

I thought the best thing to do is to ask them. So I visited three of my local opticians, asked about their charges and then the all-important question….”Why should I come to you rather than a competitor?

The answers I received were nothing short of amazing!. Here’s the gist of them. While reading this, think of what’s going through the mind of someone calling YOU to ask about your service. Here are the three questions I asked each of them. YOUR prospects are also thinking these questions even if they don’t ask them.

Are all eye tests (carpet cleaners) the same?

Why should I use you?

Do you do anything that others don’t do?

 

Optician 1. Cost £27.50. 

Why should I use you… “because we’re great” (yes that really was their answer!). They went on to explain that other optician’s eye tests lasted “five minutes” and that “we are more thorough blah blah blah”

Optician 2. £20

In answer to the question: Why should I use you…I was told “I don’t know what the opticians do” and unbelievably…”some of our opticians are better and more thorough”

The young lady then asked me what glasses I might be interested in before even knowing if I needed them. Prescription BFORE the diagnosis!  I was finally given the helpful advice that I'm sure would have her employer cringing... “It’s your choice where you go”. Hardly a Selling Proposition let alone 'Unique'.

Optician 3. Cost £25 plus £20 for a Retinal Scan

Why should I choose you?…”We’re like independent grocer compared to Tesco”  (I didn’t think it appropriate to tell her I happen to like Tesco but still NO compelling reason to choose her). But at last…a difference…“we charge £20 for a retinal scan but it’s larger than our competitors so you can see more detail”. She handed me a leaflet about it from the reception desk but then realised it was out of date. So she continued…“Our test is more extensive…we spend longer on the eye test...”

Now which of these would you have chosen? Maybe the lowest price? After all, they’re all the SAME aren’t they? Or should I choose the one who gave a retinal scan that others didn’t? But is it really important? Remember a confused mind always says NO! And that’s what I’ve said up till today…“NO!”. I’ve done nothing about my eye test even though I’m what a salesman would call a “hot prospect.” No-one can give me a good reason to choose them. And remember…fear of making a mistake is also very powerful at putting off a decision.

Lesson for us: Make sure you are able to give prospects a compelling reason to discriminate in your favour. Most of the opticians simply said that they are “more thorough” but weren’t able to ‘dimensionalize’ this. There must be a specific reason to choose YOU, not just “good service” or “we’re more thorough.” It must also be different from all your competitors.

So list everything you do that’s different to your competitors. Make sure it’s important to the marketplace (in other words customers really do want it). And then put it into your sales pitch, on your web-site, business card and everything that your prospective customer sees.