What Makes You So Special? - Your Marketing Big Promise

"What makes you so special?" is the single most important question you can ask - about your business and yourself. The answer forms the basis for all your marketing efforts.

Many of us are challenged by the necessity to blow our own horn when it comes to promoting our business. If your family was anything like mine growing up, we were told it wasn't polite to brag. Nobody likes a sore loser but even fewer like a gloating winner.

So we temper our message to the public. We flinch at calling ourselves, "the best" for fear the actual person or business who really is the best (whoever that might be) will call us on the carpet and demand we prove our assertions.

Not to worry. It'll never happen.

First Determine What Business You're In

If you're like most business owners the first answer that rolls off your tongue will likely be that which describes your industry or profession;

• I'm a photographer


• I'm a chiropractor


• I'm a dentist


• I'm an accountant


• I'm an attorney (sorry - can't help you)


• I'm a hair stylist

Now go look in the phone book or Google your business category and see how many more of "you" there are in your market.

If you define yourself and your business as an accounting practice - you're just like the three dozen other accounting practices in the phone book. What makes you any different?

Same thing if you're a dentist or a chiropractor, photographer or hair stylist. You need to examine all aspects of your business to find what makes you different.

Minus a Message to the Contrary - Your Business is a Commodity

Webster's dictionary defines commodity as;

1. A mass-produced unspecialized product


2. An economic good


3. A product of agriculture or mining


4. A good or service whose wide availability typically leads to smaller profit margins and diminishes the importance of factors (such as brand name) other than price

In other words, if you can't define what makes you and your business different than all the other accountants and photographers and hair stylists and chiropractors in the book - you and your business are a commodity.

What is Your Big Promise?

Advertising icon David Ogilvy describes it as follow;

"The second most important decision is this: what should you promise the customer? A promise is not a claim, or a theme, or a slogan. It is a benefit for the consumer. It pays to promise a benefit which is unique and competitive, and the product must deliver the benefit of your promise. Most advertising promises nothing. It is doomed to fail in the marketplace. "Promise, large promise, is the soul of an advertisement" - said Samuel Johnson."

What then - makes your photography business or accounting practice or hair salon - different than all the rest?

This is Not a Laundry List

You're not looking to develop a laundry list here. For example, as a photographer you could conceivably say, "We do...;

• Senior portraits


• Child portraits


• Family portraits


• Sports photography


• Passport pictures


• Weddings and engagements


• Class reunions


• Pets


• Business portraits


• Boudoir

But does "jack of all trades master of none" come to mind? It does for me - and everyone else who reads that ad.

Decide Where to Hang Your Hat

You only need one "promise." The one thing you do better than anyone else. Something you can hang your marketing hat on.

As described in Dan Kennedy's book, No BS Direct Marketing, Kennedy has a client who operates an accounting practice that specializes in tax returns for a very particular demographic; their big promise - "Fast Tax Refunds in One Day."

The accountant prepares the tax return and files it electronically. Within 24 hours he will cut a check to the taxpayer for their full refund - minus his fees of course. In essence he is loaning the taxpayer their refund money - using the refund as collateral.

Do you think this accounting practice is busy? They have to drop their marketing pieces over a two to three week period to prevent being inundated. They've made a big promise and they deliver on that promise.

Is Kennedy's client in the accounting business? Do the accountant's clients give a lick if he's a CPA? Do they care if he has a fancy office with the right address? No, no and no.

This individual recognized he was in the quick money business. The only thing his clients are concerned with is receiving their income tax return as quickly as possible.

Choose Carefully

Obviously this particular accountant's big promise is not for everyone. Not every accountant wants to do that many tax returns. You'll want to analyze your business and choose carefully when deciding on your big promise.

But when you do, when you've decided what it is you do better than anyone else - or would like to be known for doing better than anyone else - then hang your hat on it. Let that become the basis for all your marketing efforts.

The results will definitely be worth the effort.