This is difficult for business owners to hear sometimes, especially when you’re just starting out. You need customers fast and you think to get them, you have to do everything, be everywhere, and solve every problem.
Unfortunately, that’s not usually the case. As the classic saying goes, “If you sell to everyone, you sell to no one.”
That’s exactly what happens when you try to make your business an everything business. And it works on multiple levels.
A repair shop claims the lowest prices, fastest service, friendliest staff, professional work, and only the finest materials and equipment.
A small online store sells sunglasses, shirts, pants, hats, toys, tools, stereos, and meat slicers. In addition, they promise support and expertise behind all the products.
An electrician posts on all social media platforms and speaks to new home owners, experienced home owners, and homesteaders, despite the bulk of her customers being restaurants and corporate offices.
What do all these examples have in common? In trying to be or do everything, their message gets confusing and their business is lost in a sea of competitors.
Let’s take a closer look.
A repair shop claims the lowest prices, fastest service, friendliest staff, professional work, and only the finest materials and equipment.
This business is fighting itself in some ways. Can you really have the lowest prices while using only the finest materials and equipment? One of those is probably not accurate.
Then there’s the multiple targets. The person looking for the cheapest option is not necessarily the same person looking for friendly staff.
A small online store sells sunglasses, shirts, pants, hats, toys, tools, stereos, and meat slicers. In addition, they promise support and expertise behind all the products.
I get it, Amazon does this and so do other “big box” stores. You’re not one of those, you’re running a small business.
Amazon started by focusing on books. They only added more items to their catalog after establishing their name as an online reseller.
An electrician posts on all social media platforms and speaks to new home owners, experienced home owners, and homesteaders, despite the bulk of her customers being restaurants and corporate offices.
This small business is creating the wrong content and overwhelmed by how many platforms they’re using.
They would be better off checking with their existing customers where they spend their time. Then coming up with a content strategy that targets the electrical needs of restaurants and corporate offices on those channels.
So now you’re asking yourself, how do you fix this? Especially if the statements sound a lot like your own business.
I talk a lot about the key to your messaging being simplicity and clarity. Use words people know and stick to a clear message.
But to be simple and clear, you also have to cut down the amount of things you talk about. Focus on the one thing you do best.
I mentioned Amazon starting out as a book seller before branching out. Here are three other well-known companies that focus on what they do best.
- LEGO: They did the opposite of Amazon. To start, they made every possible toy they could think of until they switched their focus to what was then called their “automatic binding bricks.”
- Crocs: Certainly not the best-looking shoe in the world but the company’s main product continues to grow in popularity and is now a symbol of individualism as it can be accessorized to be exactly what you want it to be.
- Moleskine: Recreated the classic black notebook in 1997 and established itself as the leading notebook for writers, artists, and anybody looking to write or sketch anything on the go.
Stop aspiring to be everything under the sun. You’ll only confuse potential customers instead of streamlining them toward supporting your business.
Find your standout product, your unique selling point, and your major channel. The key to small business success is refining to delight your target customer rather than stretching to satisfy every person.
Your friend,
JC
Put today’s message in practice:
- Identify your best product or service and consider making it the center of your messaging
- Identify the channel that connects with the most potential target customers
- Simplify your message so your customer knows exactly what you offer
If you need additional content marketing help, contact me today to set up an introductory call.
