Specialize

Specialization is what makes an average business a great business. It also gives your advertising campaigns huge traction. Your ads are only an extension of your business. If you’re uninteresting, chances are your ads are going to be uninteresting as well. If your ads are amazing, but your actual store is mundane, your ads won’t work. They may get people to the door, but they won’t stick around. That’s why everything needs to start directly at your business. Advertising campaigns are garnish. They can show people your awesome store, but they can’t do anything other than bring people there. That’s why your business needs to be special, not just your advertising campaign. Specializing is a key way to make your business stand out.

When I say “specialize,” I mean you need to stand for something. I was in a creative meeting today discussing a Lasik eye clinic. They have a great product. They can give you perfect vision. Awesome. But, everyone knows about Lasik at this point, and there are a lot of clinics out there. So, what could we do to make them stand out from the rest? We decided that the main reason most people don’t do Lasik isn’t money, its fear. The fear of something going wrong. The Fear of losing their sight. A huge number of potential clients are off the table because of the simple reason that they’re too afraid to get the procedure done. That’s a great group to key in on. It’s also a great chance for business specialization.

Every city has one dentist that prides themselves on being the dentist for people that are afraid of dentists. They use the latest tools and procedures to ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible. The staff is trained to handle nervous people with care. The truth is, pretty much any good dentist will do this for their patients. The difference is only one place talks about it. That makes them THE place to go to if you’re afraid of the dentist. This is where the opening is for Lasik. So many people are afraid. So, we decided to brand the clinic as the place to go if you’re terrified of the idea of Lasik. We all know the benefits of the procedure. But, that doesn’t get everyone over the fear. They want the result, but they’re afraid of what might happen. The clinic needs to earn the opportunity for trust in their advertising. Let’s be clear, nobody can overcome a fear that large in one commercial. But, you can get the ball rolling. Suddenly, you have a new prospective clientele thinking about the procedure, and they know that your place is the place to go if they decided they may be ready.

The business needs to change to accommodate this strategy as well. There should be free consultations where everything is explained in detail. The meeting rooms should be warm and comforting. Every effort needs to be made to make people feel at ease, even if that means turning people away who are too afraid. I would state that in the ad.

So, you don’t run a Lasik clinic. That’s ok. You can still specialize your business. Start by thinking of your clients. What do they like the most about your business? Can you specialize to capitalize more on that? Here’s a few examples.

• Restaurant – Maybe you don’t want to offer every type of food. Sure you could specialize by region, but what about specializing by food group, or even on specific food. Salmon has become a very popular healthy meal choice. There is more than one way to prepare it. Why not become a restaurant the exclusively sells the best salmon in the city. You can still serve it a dozen different ways. Now you won’t be fighting against every other restaurant that offers everything. You’ll be that place that does salmon. Whenever somebody wants salmon, your business will be on the tip of their tongue.
• Hair Salon – Cater specifically to Brunettes
• Grocery Store – Sell only organic foods grown within 100 kilometers of your store.
• Realtor – Specialize only in selling condos, or estate homes.
• Mechanic – Fix only luxury cars.

Every business has ways to specialize. When you do, you take a step ahead of your competition. You establish a reason for people to remember you. Sure, you’ll be tossing away a portion of clients by leaving them out. But, that’s ok. It isn’t a great idea to blanket a large group of people with a bland all inclusive add. Key in on a large specific portion of people and serve them better than anyone else can. It’s a great way to build loyalty. People love specialized businesses. It’s like specialized doctors. If you have a problem with your kidneys, you go to a guy who specialized in kidneys. Everyone wants to go to the people who are the best at what they do. Be the best at something specific. People will remember you for that, which is a lot better than be forgotten because you do