What We're Reading: The Anti Commodity Formula

Imagine that you need a haircut, and you talk to two different stylists: the first one says, "I can cut your hair cheaper than anyone else in town," while the second stylist says, "I can give you a haircut that will make you look beautiful and feel confident every time you look in the mirror." Which stylist would you choose, and why?

So often we think that the only thing our customers care about is price. For some customers that may be true. But for many (perhaps even for most) what they want more than saving a few dollars is a solution that will make their dreams come true.

Recently, I enjoyed reading a short ebook called The Anti Commodity Formula. It's written to business owners who feel like they are not attracting their ideal clients and want to stop competing on price.

Here are four takeaways from the book that will help you position your business to build your client's dreams.

1. It’s about them, not you.

Take a hard look at your skill set and experience. What kind of problems are you confident that you can solve?

Then think about your ideal client. Whose dreams can you make come true?

For example, if you are an experienced interior designer, you could say: "I am confident that I can design comfortable spaces that people want to be in."

In industries such as consulting, accounting, or creative services you might say:

• I am confident that I can save my clients time.
• I am confident that I can improve a company's bottom line in the next 6 months.
• I am confident that I can bring simplicity to bookkeeping.
• I am confident that I can improve a business' visual brand.

2. It takes two people to create success.

Next, think about the key characteristics that describe your dream client. Get specific and write down the qualities a prospect must have in order to be an ideal fit for you. For example:

• They care about quality
• They care about relationships
• They communicate well
• They are quick to respond
• They must be forward thinking and focused on growth

3. Emotion sells.

Your dream clients may have negative, limiting beliefs that are holding them back from achieving their goals. What messages can you create that speak to their emotions and address their pain?

Let's go back to our interior designer example. A prospective client may have a negative belief about themselves, like "I don't know enough about furniture and colors to design my living room." The emotion they are feeling is, "I feel overwhelmed and I don't know where to start."

Speak directly to your clients feelings in order to connect with them on an emotional level.

4. Make an offer they can’t resist.

So now comes the most important part. You must offer a confident guaranteed solution that solves your client's pain. When you put your own skin in the game you’ll gain their credibility and trust.

For our interior designer example, she could say: "I can transform your living room into an authentic space that fits your lifestyle perfectly."

Here are some other ideas of a confident offer:

• I promise that you will see 5% growth within 2 years after hiring our firm, or we will refund you all of our fees.
• If you don't love our product, send it back for a full refund or replacement.

What amazing guarantee can you give to your clients?

After you've identified your dream client and the problems that you're confident you can solve for them, you can speak to them on an emotional level and create a compelling offer they can't resist. It's a win for you both.

If you'd like to read the ebook for yourself you can find it here:

Maybe you are feeling frustrated with your marketing or having trouble breaking out of the commodity mindset. Harvest Media can help you get more quality leads by creating the right message, to the right audience, at the right time. Talk to us about how we can help you market for results and build the business of your dreams.