We have a lot of discussions with our clients about positioning themselves in the market. What makes your company different? What makes you unique?What compels someone to want to do business with you?
Identify your differentiators to rise above your competition
As you try hard to separate yourself from the competition, it’s important to understand the difference between what I call table stakes versus differentiators.
Table stakes (i.e., the ante in poker) are requirements to get you into the game. These are things about your company that if you didn’t have these things, you couldn’t even be considered a part of the industry that you’re in.
For example, we’re working with a youth soccer club. Youth sports clubs tend to focus on coaching staff, special drills, game schedules, weekly practices, and beautiful field complexes. If you’re a soccer club and you don’t have fields, coaches, and games to play, then you can’t call yourself a soccer club. These are table stakes.
Differentiators are things that make you unique versus others that are in the game. What makes a soccer club different from other soccer clubs?
Consider that one soccer club could be all about fun. They’re all about letting everybody in the game, socializing and getting some exercise. All the kids play all the positions without any of the pressures of winning.
Another soccer club is touting preparations for competitive high school play, college recruiting, earning scholarships, or even access to professional tryouts. That’s an extremely important differentiation.
Of course, some parents absolutely want their kids to learn the values of discipline, hard work and ultimately achieve the highest level of play possible. Other parents not so much. Fun, positivity, inclusion and good health are more the focus.
Although both are playing soccer, these parents are not remotely interested in the same things. One is absolutely not a good fit for the other. That’s differentiation.
Differentiators attract the business you want, and eliminate the leads you don’t want
The reason that those differentiators are so important is that, that is going to attract a certain type of customer.
If your club is all about fun, and your marketing materials are attracting people who are highly competitive, you’re not going to win. Both soccer programs have nice fields, coaches and games…but they might as well be completely different universes.
Golf Course Differentiators
Consider a golf course that is marketing themselves. If you look around at golf course websites and marketing material, you see this all the time:
“Beautiful championship layout”
“Tee markers for every level of ability”
“Friendly staff to take great care of you”
“Top instructors to help you with your game”
If you don’t have these things, then you can’t call yourself a golf course! Holes, tee markers, staff are all things that get you into the game. They are not unique…at all.
Those are tables stakes.
Differentiators for golf courses are usually wrapped around the type of humans that they’re trying to attract.
One course might be really challenging, hosting regional and national events designed for the best players. They tout the competitive playing accomplishments their members, the elaborate practice facilities that that they have, and high-tech instruction designed to attract top level players working on their games.
Another club offers golf, swimming, tennis, childcare, and recreational facilities for an entire family. There is less intent about the hardcore practicing of golf and more focus on developing a social lifestyle and comfortable place of recreation.
Again, very different animals.
Tee markers, greens, and beautiful layouts are what all golf courses have right? Fields and coaches are what all soccer clubs have. If your company is talking about table stakes, take a hard look at your marketing material.
What makes you different?
Who are your for? Who are you NOT for?
How do you do things differently than others in your space?
Why should anyone do business with you?
