Meet Tim, Josh, Dianne, Cam, Kathleen and Dan… - by Chuck Sink

You might be asking, who are those people and why should I know them? They’re the folks who personify your best clients – those whose working styles and needs align with your company culture and value proposition. These names happen to be the clients who have influenced how we operate, deliver value and communicate in the market. Just as importantly, they know us, prefer our approach and collaborate in their own marketing success.

Can you automatically rattle off the first names of your best clients? If so, that’s where you’ll find your brand differentiation and value proposition.

Client Differentiation Drives Branding Value: We talk about brand differentiation in marketing. What differentiates your offerings positively over your competition? Try some reverse engineering. There’s a kind of differentiation that’s crucially important to discovering your own and growing your business. It’s called client differentiation. You need to know the common persona of customers you can best serve and who appreciate your business style. They will choose your company for the very reasons that you think they should.

As you differentiate your clients from “the masses,” you’ll better understand whom you are really serving and you should tailor your messages only to them – people with a defined personality style. Resist the temptation to appeal to the broadest possible market for your product/service because you’ll only add more noise in the cluttered, me-too world of commercial media. Few will notice. But if you call out to specific people (if not by name, then by interest and passion), they’ll hear the message as it resonates and engages them out of the crowd. They call you, email you or message you, hoping to reach a deal with you.

The Consistency Payoff: Be consistent with messages that focus only on your differentiated and distinguished target audience. You are of most value to your narrowly defined target market and you’ll find them more enjoyable to work with. Working with them is more gratifying and often fun, and your relationships are mutually profitable.

Chuck Sink is the founder and CEO of Chuck Sink Link, Sunapee, N.H.