Not Looking Like the Competition

The white sticky tape doesn’t look like the drill bit.

The massage oil doesn’t look like the bottle of wine.

The expensive pen doesn’t look like the metal watch band.

The video course doesn’t look like the book.

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If you compare your product against the competition, you might be one of the few who does. The customer, who might not look at your competitors at all, weighs options differently.

When the customer wants to make progress on a problem, they want to move away from a place of discomfort, of contention, and move toward a place of resolution, of aspiration. Anything that helps with that switch will be considered as an alternative.

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The customer only wanted to hang a frame, but when it involved drilling a hole in the wall, which seemed risky (“what if I get it wrong”?) they were glad the advisor at the retail store suggested a strong white tape that did the job. No need to ask the neighbour for help.

The customer wasn’t too sure what would make the evening special for date night. A bottle of wine might do the job, but maybe a massage might make for a more relaxing evening, far from the worries of work and responsibilities. The massage oil added a touch of consideration.

The customer was getting ready for a networking event. This one was different for the customer, because there was a promotion opportunity coming up. The new metal smartwatch band might help the customer look sharper, but he had been eyeing an expensive pen instead. The pen sealed the deal, both for the networking event (which stayed hidden the whole time), and quite literally at the time of the signing of the promotion. He was buying into confidence and into status.

The customer felt like there was an urgency to get better at a skill. People recommended the book, but for ten times the price, the video course looked like a faster way to acquire the skill. Plus, it came with access to a community of like-minded peers.

Jobs done.