All business owners have certain fundamental questions they need to have answered to build a successful business. And perhaps the most crucial question to answer is, "What makes my business different?" Answering this question is necessary for you to create a robust growth strategy, and it also must be something your customer can answer because it is why they will continue to bring you their business. 

At Zimmer Marketing, we use Chuck Mefford's BrandsFormation marketing system. In his system, finding your "difference maker" is one of the first steps on the journey to creating a successful brand. It's what will get you out of the no-win scenario of a race to the bottom with your competitors. After all, we can't all have the lowest prices. No, it's better to take a hard look at your business and figure out what's truly unique about it. That way, you can craft a message that resonates with your potential customers and successfully brand your business.

Since your difference maker is what will define your business and set you apart from your competition, it's important to get it right. To find your difference maker, you need to look at every aspect of your business. If you get your hands on Chuck Mefford's bestselling book, BrandsFormation, he provides a helpful checklist to do this. But assuming you don't have his excellent book, you need to put yourself in the shoes of your customers and examine your business from their perspective. 

Let's imagine you run a roofing company. You review your business from top to bottom, and you find that you provide fast service, offer a quality product, and have competitive pricing. All those things are good, but they also happen to be the same things your competitors emphasize in their marketing efforts. Then one day, one of your customers remarks to you about how happy they were that their hard didn't get torn up by your roofing team. You've always insisted that your crews make sure not to disturb customers' turf or yard features with their machinery. And, come to think of it, you've seen other roofing companies leave a royal mess behind after a roofing job. You've found your difference maker, and now you can craft your message. 

Once you've discovered your difference maker, you need to craft it into a message. That's the message you will use to define your business and present to potential customers consistently. A well-crafted message based on your difference maker will set you apart from your competition and be immediately associated with your company in the minds of your potential customers. To go back to our roofing company example, based on their difference-maker, they could make their message, "We tear up old shingles... not your yard!" When delivered consistently over time through the proper marketing channels, your message will be associated with your company. For our roofing company, the next time somebody needs their roof done and doesn't want their yard to be a mess, only one company will come to mind. And that's the company they'll call.

At Zimmer Marketing, we've helped countless local businesses find their difference maker, craft their message, and put their message out through diverse marketing channels, including radio and digital marketing. If you're ready to start your BrandsFormation, today can be the day! Or, if you want to learn more about BrandFormation, consider attending a BrandKamp. We host BrandKamp's twice a year. At BrandKamp, Chuck Mefford presents a free workshop to help you turn your local business into a great local brand!