How can you stand out? What makes you different in the eyes of your customers and prospects from every other contractor in your market?
There are many ways to differentiate your company. Some are meaningful to some or all customers. Others are merely ways to attract attention and generate recall. Almost any means of differentiation is better than none at all.
If you choose a point of differentiation, it is important to communicate it well. Let people know. Don’t wink in the dark (i.e., you know what you’re doing, but no one else does). If the public begins to associate a certain point of differentiation with your company, no one else can claim it. It’s yours.
- You are the area’s largest air conditioning company
- You are the specialist for a given suburb or part of town
- You have a certain (large) number of trucks
- You respond within a certain time frame
- You have won one or more awards
- You are the company with a certain heritage
- You are the company with a certain mascot
- You are the friendliest company
- You provide the best guarantees
- You are recognized as the best air conditioning company by an area newspaper or magazine readership survey
- You are the area’s oldest air conditioning company
- You specialize in manufactured housing air conditioning
- You specialize in marine air conditioning
- You are the energy efficiency expert
- You are the old fashioned values company
- You are the optimistic company
- You are the home automation expert
- You work harder
- You are the fastest company
- You are the company that takes the time to do the job right
- You have the best trained technicians
- You are the low price company
- You are a tropical company
- You are associated with a particular color
- You are the company that offers the most personal service
- You are the company women trust and want to call
- You specialize in restaurant air conditioning and refrigeration work
- You are the IAQ expert
- You are the solar expert
- You are the company that’s excited about air conditioning
- You specialize in apartments
- You are the giving company (i.e., you make donations for every sale)
- You are the company that treats everyone like family
- You are the environmentally responsible company
- You specialize in production residential new construction
- You have the cleanest technicians
- You specialize in computer rooms
Are some of these redundant? Yes. Are there other ways to differentiate? Absolutely. How you differentiate should reflect your company, its personality, your capabilities, your market, and your customers. Pick something. Hopefully, you can pick something meaningful. If not, still pick something. And communicate it consistently and constantly.
For more information on branding, marketing, and standing out from the crowd, join the Service Roundtable – HVAC’s largest and most affordable business alliance. Learn more at www.ServiceRoundtable.com (check out the FREE STUFF) or call toll free 877.262.3341 and ask for a tour.