Differentiate the way you sell the product

It may well be that you believe your product or service is the best, the most efficient, the cheapest available.  And it can be.  But if other companies are saying the same thing about their rival product or service, your advert is not going to work.

Thus you need to find some aspect of your business which can be promoted differently from your rivals.

If they claim to be the cheapest there is no point in claiming the same - unless you really want to slog it out with them in a never-ending price war.  Better for you to emphasise some added value that comes with your product or service.   If they claim to have the fastest delivery you can meet them head on with adverts which also claim the fastest delivery - but you will find it more effective to stress something else and simply add the fact that you have very fast delivery as a by-line.

This is not a case of the method you use to advertise, but the unique selling point you use.

If we take Hamilton House Mailings for example, we have selected one key element as the centre of our advertising - that you will get a higher response rate with us than if you go through any other direct mail company.  While our rivals focus on price or the speed at which they can turn a job around, we have found our own niche - our own differentiation.

To be clear on the difference between the two types of differentiation, the previous section (differentiation 1) speaks of the way the advert is constructed.  In this case we speak of the unique selling point.   Both must be different from that of your competitors if you wish your advertising to stand out and get higher response rates.

Free analysis of your mailshot

This article is written by Tony Attwood, Chairman of Hamilton House Mailings Ltd.  If you would like to discuss the writing or design of your mailing campaign, or indeed a single mailshot, with Tony, without cost or obligation, just call 01536 399 000, or email Creative@hamilton-house.com   You can also send Tony a copy of your latest advert and he will call you back with his thoughts on how your response rate could be raised - again without cost or obligation.