Just showing up and getting picked is a desperate strategy these days. We used to be able to play the game of being a good boy or girl and do as we were told. Be compliant and your boss, your customers or your friends rewarded you with more or less scripted behaviors. They hired you, bought your stuff and retained you.
The problem is that choice is so prevalent and easy. You are a mouse-click away from being forgotten or marginalized. If you show up on a list – directories, searches, and social media – then you are set up for comparison. Comparison is a basis for commoditization. Many will choose to play this game out of passivity, fear or indifference. However, if you are determined to show more originality and communicate your value, then here are some ways to raise your value (and pricing).
- Get More Specific. There are plenty of generalities in the market – web designer, attorney, printer. Broad categories make you blend in, not stand out. Instead, define your offering more specific. If you have to redesign your offering, do so with vigor and conviction. Specialization and niches recategorize you in the mind of a buyer.
- Be The Leader. If you cannot be the leader, then you are like everyone else. Everyone else is waiting to be picked. They are being picked statistically. Leaders are picked because they represent security, success and the very best of a category. What can you proclaim you are the best at? Let that stand front and center in your brand and messaging.
- Build A Remarkable Process. When you are the best in your category, substantiate this with a process that is transparent and highly efficient. If you are the leader in finite element analysis for heavy lifting machinery, then explain your process and ensure it is defined by steps, timeframes and the result. Box it in to package it and give the buyer a high level of confidence.
Ultimately, raising your value in the marketplace has to do with leadership. You have to choose to be a leader and differentiate. Following a trend or hoping for your boat to rise with the tide may have some benefit in prospering markets, but in the long run, you may be missing the opportunity to build something lasting.
What are your thoughts to raise your value?
