Who Is Your Real Competition?

If you design kitchens, is another kitchen designer your competition? Most likely not. And the sooner you can position and modify your marketing strategy against your real competition, the sooner you will start to see more business come through the door. So Who Really Is Your Competition? The answer to that is always--Never the most obvious. So let's take the example of the kitchen designer. Having decided that another kitchen designer isn't his competition, he now has to decide who is his real competition.

His Real Competition Could Be A Car Salesman

Is this for real? How can a car salesman be a kitchen designer's competition? Let's analyse this more carefully. A kitchen and a car are both fighting for the same thing-- The householder's limited budget.

If the kitchen designer, were able to convince a couple that a kitchen is more important than a new car (which he could easily do if there was a foodie around), he now has a better chance of them dropping the car in favour of the kitchen.

The Advantage Of This Method Of Positioning

The most obvious advantage is that you're not losing any current customers. All your past advertising is bringing in the customers that are looking for kitchens anyway.

What it does do however, is bring in a new lot of customers that would never have thought about kitchens, if you hadn't implanted it in their minds. Effectively, you have both, customers who are looking for kitchens as well as customers who are forfeiting their new cars in favour of new kitchens.

How Your Re-Positioning Can Help You Focus

We had a client who ran a laundromat. Her current customers were people who did not have washing machines. Obviously, her business went up and down based on the season and on her customers limited budget. We got her to refocus her marketing strategy on a new target-- Customers who had washing machines.

These customers had the money, but no time. By deciding that her real competition was time she decided to target people who had limited time instead.

As a result, she was now targeting busy people while other laundromats were targeting people with washing. This positioning actually helped the laundromat stand out from the rest of the competition.

How The Laundromat Did A Full 180

This re-positioning did a couple of things for them. One, it helped them focus on their target audience. Consequently, they changed their name from just XYZ Laundromat to Bizzie Buggers.

It was catchy and bang on target. It also now meant that busy customers (with the money), were more likely to stop over and drop their washing. Plus they had the regular customers walking through the door anyway.

What You Need To Do

Sit down and write who your immediate competition could be. Then write down what your business is really up against. Here are some examples.

These aren't necessarily your right targets but they help you see things in a different light and help you determine who your real competition could possibly be.

Cartoonist= Photographer
Computer Salesman= Filing Cabinet
Car Dealer= Expensive Restaurant Meals

©Psychotactics.All Rights Reserved.
Written By: Sean D'Souza

-------------

If you would like to learn more about the way the human brain works, and how customers make buying decisions, go to http://www.5000bc.com

There's a vast library of free articles and information on topics as varied as copywriting, small business ideas, public speaking, sales conversion, psychological tactics, branding and other marketing related subjects. Go to http://www.5000bc.com today. You'll be amazed at what you find there.

------------------

P.S. If you like the article, feel free to share it with your own list, post it on your site, post it on your blog, or add it to your autoresponder.As long as you leave it intact and do not alter it in anyway. The authors byline, biography and brought to you by link must remain in the article. Please notify me where my article is used online and off line.

Sean has developed a system called Psycho Tactics. PsychoTactics unlocks the working of the human brain and radically tweaks the way you think and act about your business. This results in clarity of thought and greater profits. Today, Sean is constantly teaching small business- 'How they too can do the same?'
He does this through his websites http://www.5000bc.com/ http://www.psychotactics.com/

---

How To Use a Message Sequence to Increase Your Sales

If there's one thing I've learnt in over 3 years... Read More

Turn Your Old Articles Into Profitable E-mail Courses

If you've written numerous articles, you can use them to... Read More

Guarantee Recipients Opening Your Emails With These Secrets To Successful Subject Lines!

You've done the hardest part; you've captured your prospect's email... Read More

10 Persuasive Triggers To Plug Into Your Ad

1. Most people want to win over others. Tell your... Read More

Keep Your Work From Home Newsletter From Being A Spam Filter Casualty

It's hard to get your email through to clients, friends... Read More

Make All Your Mailing Lists Double Opt-In

Accusations of spam can be so harmful to your business... Read More

Sucking in Readers: Proven Ways to Increase Reader Interaction

You've probably heard this educational philosophy:Tell me, and I'll forget.Show... Read More

Using A Simple Idea to Target Your Audience

A wonderfully easy and free concept that many people seem... Read More

One of the Best Ways to Cultivate New Business and Save Hours of Time is to Use an Autoresponder

An autoresponder gives you the ability to send messages effortlessly... Read More

Why Autoresponders are an Absolute Must

With autoresponders, you never have to lose money advertising again!... Read More

An Aspirin or an Autoresponder!

Tired of silly old email enquiries? Say hello to autoresponders!If... Read More

A Guide To Using an Automatic Responder

It's unbelievable....that many people do not know, that an automatic... Read More

How to Structure an Email Follow Up Series

Marketers the world over use follow up autoresponders toincrease sales.... Read More

Twelve Tips for Successful Opt-in E-mail Newsletters

An opt-in e-newsletter is one of the most effective marketing... Read More

Why Your Email Distribution List is Your Best Source of New Sales

Don't overlook your current customers. After all, they're the ones... Read More

Virtual Marketing in a Tangible World

One of the greatest challenges facing business owners and managers... Read More

Interview With Michael Murray: Autoresponder Basics

This interview is with Michael Murray, the author of a... Read More

All I Really Needed to Know About List Building I Learned From Stephen King!

I have always been an avid reader of Stephen King's... Read More

Dont Be Viewed as Rude!

All too often otherwise nice folks come off as terse... Read More

The Most Critical Strategy to Your Survival, and Prosperity, Online

For the sake of your long term survival and your... Read More

How To Get People To Constantly Open Your e-Mail Promotions Or Your Newsletter

In this article I'm going to talk strictly from a... Read More

Just Write an Email

How did you sell your last product? Imagine that I... Read More

Why Email Marketing Matters

According to a study by the Winterberry Group, email marketing... Read More

Email Etiquette V

Further to my previous issues this subject continues ? as... Read More

Run Profitable Contests Using Autoresponders

Running a contest for your e-zine subscribers or web site... Read More

7 Autoresponder Marketing Strategies To Automate, Build and Grow Your Business

Did you know one of the most important tools in... Read More

Dont Use FFAs To Build Your Newsletter Subscriber

For those of you who aren't familiar with the term,... Read More

Creating Effective Opt-in E-Mail Campaigns

It's been said before, but important to re-emphasize, e-mail is... Read More

Consumer Thinking and Email

In an article based on research done by emaillabs, MarketingSherpa... Read More

The Goose That Lays Golden Eggs

Ever wondered what it would be like to have a... Read More

You DO Have an Email List Dont You?

No matter what type of business you operate, you need... Read More

The Flu and List building Go Hand In Hand!

What does the flu have to do with building your... Read More

Lesson #1: Autoresponders 101

What the heck is an autoresponder?An autoresponder is much like... Read More