Great ideas are like secrets to success: Everybody has a dozen or so, and most don’t hold up well to the TGSWWC test (short for “That’s Great! So What? Who Cares?”). That’s also the mistake a lot of business owners make when it comes to their marketing. They waste a ton of money promoting vague, tired old claims that potential customers either don’t believe or don’t care about.

I have a client that specializes in securities licensing test preparation. They wanted to build market share, so we spent a lot of time identifying strengths: they are a dedicated company, in that test prep education is all they do; they are the oldest company in their field; they are family owned; they continually update their materials; their instructors are available 24 hours a day; and their customer service people respond to all contacts within 24 hours. In short, they do a lot right.

These were all great strengths, but we learned from our research that none of these was the No. 1 reason customers came to them. These strengths didn’t pass the TGSWWC test. What did was one specific fact: Their students had a 15- to 20- percent higher pass ratio than the national average. That was their No. 1 competitive advantage. Armed with that knowledge, they retooled their marketing and, like a rifle-shot, promoted their No. 1 competitive advantage. Today, they’re rapidly gaining market share over their competitors. 

Many of us could learn a lot from this. Too often, we seize on some clever feature (or more commonly, a vague cliché) that we think is neat … and then promote it to death, even if no one else cares. A better idea: Identify and promote the daylights out of one or two key competitive advantages.

So, what makes a competitive advantage a competitive advantage? It is a specific (and honest) claim that answers the question: “Why would/should I buy from you rather than from the other guy?” Key features may include:

It is quantifiable, not vague: The more specific, the better. Examples: “75 percent of our customers have been with us longer than 10 years,” rather than “We build strong relationships with our clients.” Or “We have the largest selection in the county, with more than 125 choices,” rather than “We have a huge selection.” Or “This is our number one best seller,” versus “This item is very popular.”

It is unique, involving a claim your competitors cannot make. This can be as simple as “We deliver,” but only if your competitor does not. 

It focuses on the customer, not on us. It passes the TGSWWC test. Remember, customers don’t care about us. They care about what we can do for them. So, change that page on your Website from “About Us” to “Why Buy From Us.”

Other examples of clearly stated competitive advantages:
• “95  percent of our business comes from referrals,” versus “We have high customer satisfaction.”

• “Our customers return and buy from us three times a year, on average,” versus “We build customer loyalty by exceeding their expectations.”

• “We deliver in 15 minutes or less … or it’s free!” versus “We have speedy delivery.”

Here’s the kicker: Your competitive advantage can be tougher than you think to actually identify. It’s said that fewer than two CEOs in a thousand can actually articulate their competitive advantage. Most companies don’t even bother, preferring to stumble along promoting the same, old, tired features, the ones that cause customers to yawn and think, “That’s Great! So What? Who Cares?” as they give their business to a more savvy competitor.

By John Ingrisano

John Ingrisano is a small business owner and the author of The Back to Basics Book of Selling: A Guide to A Successful Sales Career. Contact John at john@ TheFreestyleEntrepreneur.com.