How do you stand out?

What makes your company stand apart from your competitors? 

This seems like an easy question, but I have found that most marketers struggle to articulate an answer.

I have spoken to hundreds of treatment center marketing representatives over the years. When I ask how his/her center is different than others, I often hear about a more caring environment, a beautiful campus, experienced clinicians, and so on. These are all great features, but they do little to distinguish one treatment center from another, as all of them are saying the same things.

For example, at a recent lunch’n’learn representatives from different centers pointed to their equine programs as a distinguishing feature. Yet many programs incorporate horses into treatment; this is not a competitive advantage. A representative of one center, however, spoke about work with active military members. Eyebrows raised. People snapped to attention. Bingo—competitive advantage identified.

Identifying a sustainable competitive advantage is sometimes easier said than done, but knowing what it is—and being able to communicate it in 30 seconds or less—is essential to standing out in our industry, whether you represent one of the hundreds of treatment centers or compete for market share in the electronic health record market. In the latter channel, Qualifacts has done an excellent job with its www.MUforBH.com and consultation services for meaningful use. A trade show attendee with a fist full of brochures will hear much of the same thing as he visits booth after booth, but Qualifacts’ consistent emphasis on meaningful use certification provides a distinguishing—and lingering—impression.

Thousands of business school papers have been written about identifying a competitive advantage, and one blog post certainly cannot do the topic justice. Not all competitive advantages will be obvious to the market, and that's OK. Yet in your marketing communications I implore you to consider what makes you different than your rivals and how you are sharing that message—quickly, succinctly, and accurately—to prospects. Your business depends on it. 

"Competitive strategy is about being different. It means deliberately choosing to perform activities differently or to perform different activities than rivals to deliver a unique mix of value." — Michael E. Porter, Harvard Business School professor and Cofounder of Monitor Consulting (1)

Reference
1. Thompson, A.A., Jr., Peteraf, M., Gamble, J.E., & Strickland, A.J. (2012). Crafting and executing strategy: Concepts and readings (18 ed.; Franklin University ed.). Burr Ridge, IL: McGraw-Hill/Irwin; p. 134.