based on things outside of the tangible , intrinsic value of what you do . Don ’ t miss the lesson .
Here ' s another example : Pat ’ s and Geno ’ s are fast-food restaurants selling cheesesteaks served up in no-frills , outdoor shops one small step above a food truck . For years , there ’ s been an ongoing battle between the two about who makes the best steak sandwich , and for years , hundreds of people have lined up 24 / 7 to “ vote ” with their money on who has the best cheesesteaks . Both shops are located directly across from each other in South Philadelphia . Both have extremely similar products . Both sell to the same customers , in the same marketplace , for roughly the same price . So , what are people REALLY buying ? A competition . There are hundreds of other food joints selling cheesesteaks in Philadelphia , many of whom have a far superior product served in a far superior environment . But that ’ s not what Pat ’ s and Geno ’ s are selling , and everyone I know who visits Philly makes the trek to both locations , ordering one cheesesteak from each so they can decide for themselves which is best .
CrossFit , a wildly popular extreme exercise program , gained enormous member loyalty with a die-hard following for one reason : It was about the bragging rights of being able to do a CrossFit workout . Technically , it ’ s FAR from the safest and most effective workout you can do , and many of the athletes who compete are doing other therapies and exercises to supplement the WODs ( workout of the day ) that they perform , because the WODs aren ’ t sufficient to get in the shape they need to get in to actually compete . Further , the amount of training they have to do to even get into the games is intense and very timeconsuming , often preventing them from holding down regular 9-to-5 jobs . Even if they win , there ’ s not a lot of money in it , so
why do they persist ? Because it ’ s not about the workout or being in shape .
Tom ’ s shoes became a huge success based on their philanthropic approach : For every pair you buy , we ’ ll donate a pair to someone in need . Candidly , the shoes are poorly made and largely uncomfortable , but people weren ’ t buying SHOES .
Recently , when interviewing a client for a positioning piece we were creating , he shared that his dad , who originally started the business , was a serial , from-scratch , hardworking , self-made entrepreneur . He instilled those values in his son ( my client ). From that , we developed a POWERFUL origin story and philosophy — he was selling IT support to self-made entrepreneurs just like his dad . His story of growing up in the business , helping his dad by building PCs from parts and delivering them after school , is one that will resonate with his core client base who share similar values , and it will create a differentiation that cannot be easily copied by his competition .
So the big question is this : What are YOU about ? What do you stand FOR ? WHO do you stand with ? What core values do you uphold ? Are you selling status ? Belonging in a certain tribe ? A common result or goal ? We all know there ’ s very little differentiation in the “ stuff ” you sell . Pretty much every MSP is selling the same services , using the same tools and vendors , hiring from the same pool of talent , and running the services in relatively the same way . THAT is no longer a way to differentiate . Today , you need to think beyond the “ stuff ” and start selling feelings , a sense of belonging , or an idea that your prospects and clients can buy into . n