Doubtless you’ve heard of your ‘unique selling point’ or USP – from lots of marketing literature you’d be forgiven for thinking that you simply cannot do anything until you have one. Well, I disagree.

I’ve disagreed with this for years, as many of my clients will testify. And, I’ve nearly blogged on it a few times, but there was a little niggle at the back of my mind telling me that if the whole world seemed so wedded to the idea, who was I to question it?

So, I was delighted to see The Harvard Business Review saying pretty much the same thing. In an article by Freek Vermeulen, they explore how ‘You Can Win Without Differentiation‘, i.e. you do not need to be unique.

They take the example of McKinsey and all the other management consulting companies. They conclude that the success of McKinsey is based on their reputation and relationships, NOT on the quality or uniqueness of what they do.

So, what can a small business do if they’re not that different from the competition?

It’s a great example. But, many small business owners will think, ‘Hey, I’m not McKinsey, this doesn’t apply to me’. But, I’d say it’s even more true in small businesses. Here are three things I often say to a small business owners in a crowded market:

1) Put your proposition out there

In the last week, I’ve had three one-to-one sessions with small business owners on the Watertight Workgroup programme. Each one of them asked about their proposition, and was worried that it wasn’t different enough from the competition. It was holding them back. Because the USP idea is so pervasive, they were paralysed from putting a decent proposition out there. Why? Because, there were other people selling something similar.

If you only went to market when you had something completely unique, you’d probably:

  • a) end up putting something out there that nobody wants, or
  • b) never go to market at all.

In fact, when it comes to building your proposition I’d advise you to stop looking at the competition. They’re almost always a distraction. If you have a product or a service that you know people will want (because you’ve asked them), and you know you’ll do it well… put it out there.

2) Talk to people

The HBR articles argues that when there are lots of seemingly similar options “buyers rely on other signals to decide whether to purchase, such as the seller’s status, its social network ties, and prior relationships.”

This should be music to a small business owner’s ears. It’s often easier to build authentic relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, referrers, etc. when your business is small and nimble. There’s less red tape around what you can and can’t say, and you’re not slowed down by corporate decision-making.

What leaps out of this for me is the importance of networking… the digital and traditional kind.

Go on, get out that little black book (known as LinkedIn these days), call a few people, invite them out for lunch. Have a chat!

3) Leave a positive legacy

But, if there was only one key lesson to take from this article (and from what many others are saying in an increasingly connected world) it is to put your energy into building up your Commercial Karma.

Your business’ reputation is built incrementally from the legacy of every interaction you have with people. The impression you leave and the memory they store as a result of seeing you, hearing you, reading your stuff, using your products, etc. This is the more important than any USP you could come up with, ever.

If you focus on leaving a positive impact on every person your business encounters in some capacity, you’re well ahead of the game. You do this by treating people decently, being genuinely helpful, and being generous with your knowledge and expertise.

It’s about getting the fundamentals right. If your small business marketing focusses on these three things, you can establish a sustainable business.

Once you’ve done this, proven there’s a market and got that bank of goodwill behind you… then an investment in brilliant creative and content can and will make you stand out even further and grow faster. But, honestly, you can build a decent business simply by being, well… decent.

© Bryony Thomas – The Watertight Marketer.

Bryony Thomas

Bryony Thomas

Author & Founder, Watertight Marketing

Bryony Thomas is the creator of the multi-award winning  Watertight Marketing methodology, captured in her best-selling book of the same name. She is one of the UK's foremost marketing thinkers, featured by the likes of Forbes, The Guardian, Business Insider and many more, and in-demand speaker for business conferences, in-house sales days and high-level Board strategy days.

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