Strategy 1:
Market yourself the Rolls Royce of the XYZ industry.
I saw a great example of this when I met with Kim and Paul Buttery the owners of Prestige Home Groomers.
Kim and Paul market Prestige Home Groomers as being the 'Rolls Royce of Cleaners.'
They have been grooming new homes since 2000.
"I was part-owner of a new house building company and I always found it difficult to get good, consistent cleaners to prepare the homes for their new owners,"
Kim told me.
So Kim and Paul started their own cleaning business to solve this problem.
Kim and Paul have a very interesting business model.
They only clean brand new homes and buildings.
But they specialise in doing this one thing and do it incredibly well.
As a result they work totally different hours from normal cleaners.
They never do weekend or night work.
And the cleaning they do is enjoyable because it is all done in brand new homes and buildings. (This makes it a lot easier to attract good staff to work for them.)
Kim and Paul have received glowing testimonials from a number of the most well-known new home builders in the country.
And have a huge amount of repeat and referral business from delighted clients.
Being the 'Rolls Royce of cleaners' is a strategy that is working very well for them.
And it's an approach you might consider taking in your own business as well.
Strategy 2:
Charge a premium price and create a unique 'experience' around what you sell.
I saw a good example of this in the book 'Business Coaching' by Steve Chandler and Sam Beckford.
Steve and Sam gave an interesting example of a business offering cheap lubes.
This type of business would normally run an advertisement in the local paper that reads something like this...
===================
Lube Master
Winter Special
Oil Change $19.95
Expires December 31
536 Smith Street
Mon-Sat 9-6
Phone 555-1234
===================
The problem with this ad is that people can get their oil changed anywhere.
So a cheap oil change is nothing special.
But even if this ad actually gets a response, you will have attracted a price shopper..
And then you will have the impossible task of getting them to come back and pay regular price for future services. Good luck with that!
So how could you charge more money and offer a special experience?
As Steve and Sam explain...
Take some time and think about your ideal customer for this type of business.
What does someone with a car want more than just a cheap oil change?
There are two answers here (1) time and (2) convenience!
Remember this: Time is the new money.
According to the latest income surveys, 20 percent of the population controls 47 percent of the disposable income.
That means one out of five people have so much money to buy things with, that, relatively speaking, they're not concerned about the price at all.
These 20 percent are your ideal customers!
They will give you good profits margins and can become part of a loyal database of lifelong repeat customers.
So, here's an ad that reinvents the cheap oil change and attracts a totally different customer:
=============================
Too Busy to Change Your Oil?
We'll pick your car up, change
the oil, and we'll clean it and drop
it off to your home or office with
your favourite Starbucks beverage!
Lube Master-Executive Valet
555-2345
==============================
Who will this ad attract?
Someone who is more concerned about time than money.
Someone who sees the time spent waiting for his or her car as billable hours down the drain. Someone who wants to golf or play with his or her kids on the weekend, rather than running errands.
That's your ideal customer!
Notice that you don't mention price in this ad however you do talk about the interesting experience that comes with this service. (Having your car picked up, dropped back, cleaned and delivered with your favourite coffee etc.)
This is an interesting way to use a Rolls Royce type marketing strategy in a very normal business.
A Rolls Royce Marketing Strategy is something that could be worth testing in your business as well.
'Price is what you pay and value is what you get.' - WARREN BUFFETT
Action Exercise:
How could you use a Rolls Royce Marketing Strategy in your business?
Helpful resource:
If you would like some practical action steps on how to use a Rolls Royce Marketing Strategy in your own business just contact me using the email links at the top or bottom of this column.
Tell me the type of business you have and describe who your ideal customer is.
I'll then book a 7 minute personal consulting call that will give you 3 specific ways to use a Rolls Royce Marketing Strategy in your own business.
There is no charge for this consulting call but is only available until the 29th of February, 2016.
Graham McGregor is a consultant specialising in memorable marketing.
Download his 396-page Unfair Business Advantage ebook at
no charge from theunfairbusinessadvantage.com.
