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The Add Me! Newsletter *** ISSUE #14 ***
"Free tips for promoting your website"
Add Me, Inc http://www.addme.com
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>> DON'T BE THE BEST. BE THE FIRST! <<
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February 9th, 1999 *** ISSUE #14 ***
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.....THIS WEEK'S ARTICLE.....
DON'T BE THE BEST. BE THE FIRST!
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By Michel Fortin, Ph.D.
Copyright © Dr. Michel Fortin
Often, many businesses build their entire marketing strategy
around a particular brand and its "better" qualities. Claiming
superiority smacks of being untrue and is indeed a very risky
endeavor. In other words, if you claim that you're the best, your
statement will seldom be credible.
A mentor once said to me that "Implication is more powerful than
specification." It is much more effective to imply
superiority--and to be perceived as being a superior
company--than to simply being (or outright stating that one is)
superior.
So, how do you get others to perceive you as being the best? How
does one imply superiority without stating it outright? The
following are a few pointers to guide you in that direction.
BE THE FIRST
If you're the first in some category, you can usually invent your
own position, which makes it tremendously difficult for
competitors to copy you. If you're the first and if your
competitors do copy you, it will only help to remind people of
you. In fact, being the first in the marketplace is not as
important as being the first "in the mind" of the
marketplace--the mind hates change!
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Working with cosmetic surgeons, I've personally experienced this
undeniable truth. A particular hair transplant doctor is one of
the first surgeons of this type. While superiority in this field
is a matter of artistic ability and not historicity, he is still
widely recognized as the best surgeon there is--even if he still
uses outdated techniques.
No two bodies can occupy the same space. If you get to a position
first, you will have to be removed before someone else can take
over. But if you're the first, it will be impossible for others
to remove you. Hence, by being the first your position is
virtually guaranteed!
It doesn't matter who is technically the first in the marketplace
or first to offer a product or service. The first to get a
company, product, or service in the consumer's mind will own the
position and thus be perceived as being the best.
When you're the leader in your field or category, people will
automatically assume that you're the best. Uniqueness is
therefore the key and immensely more effective since it separates
you from the rest rather than compares you to them.
CREATE YOUR OWN CATEGORY
For instance, Jack Trout, in his truly wonderful book "The 22
Immutable Laws of Marketing," proves this point with a simple
question. He asks, "Who was the third person to fly over the
Atlantic in a solo flight?" If you're not a history buff like me,
you will more than likely be stumped. Most people remember that
Lindbergh was the first because, being the first, he comes to
mind immediately.
However, if you were asked "Who was the first 'woman' to fly over
the Atlantic in a solo flight?" which is the very same question
but rephrased in a different way, you will probably know the
answer. It's "Amelia Earhart."
Many people try to "compete by comparison" and may even get some
recognition as a result. But where they often fail is in creating
lasting top-of-mind awareness by drowning their image in a
currently known category--or ladder, if you will.
Everybody knows who is the first in some category or another, but
rarely do people remember who's second let alone third. If you
market your company as a better firm with a better product or
service at a better price, you are merely reminding others of
that which you are better than, which is your competition.
So, if there's no category you can be first in, create one.
Having your very own category is powerful because it is
impossible for your competition to beat you. Being the first,
your place is therefore guaranteed and you will thus be perceived
as the leader--which in fact, by being the first, you are!
GO THE OTHER WAY
7UP floundered until it announced that it was the "Uncola." As a
result, the more Coke and Pepsi advertised, the more it helped
7UP. On the other hand, Coke, which was touted as being "The Real
Thing," was known to be an old company with a 100-year old recipe
locked in some secret safe. Pepsi decided to go the other way and
proclaimed that it was for the "New Generation."
Avis did poorly until it finally conceded that it was No. 2. The
"We try harder" campaign focused on its underdog attitude that
turned the size of its bigger competitor, Hertz, into a negative.
Domino's Pizza was surely not the first pizzeria. But by being
the first to deliver its pizza "in 30 minutes or it's free," it
went from a small restaurant to a multimillion dollar franchise
operation.
Be the first to cater to a specific target market or be the first
to cater to a market in a unique way. Be the first to customize a
general product or service to a specific market, or be the first
to offer an alternative to an existing product or service.
For example, you might be a travel consultant selling business
trips to financial institutions. If you're not the first, you
might then market yourself as "the first to serve the financially
inclined" or "the first travel agent for the 'busy' financier."
In other words, don't be the best in some category. Be the first
in one.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michel Fortin, Ph.D. of The Success Doctor(TM) is an
internationally-acclaimed business development consultant,
speaker, author, and copywriter. If you like the ideas expressed
in this article, then get a FREE copy of his complete book, "The
10 Commandments of Power Positioning: Magical Marketing
Strategies for Creating an Endless Stream of New, Repeat, and
Referral Business" by visiting
http://members.home.net/success-doctor. You can reach him at
mailto:success-doctor@home.com or (613)748-1624. You may also
subscribe to The Success Doctor(TM)'s FREE weekly e-zine, "The
Profit Pill."
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