Breaking the Sameness Trap: How Distributors Can Boldly Differentiate Themselves

Imagine you're sitting across the table from a prospect when you're asked, "What makes your company different?" The prospect sitting in front of you has a lot of options. There are several other companies out there that can sell them essentially the same products and the same services that you offer. What would you say? Why should they buy from you? What makes your organization superior to other options? What makes you different? While you're formulating that answer, think about how your outside sales team might respond. Think, too, about how your inside sales team might answer. Imagine how your operations team, your administrative team, and other teams in your company might answer. How would they respond to the question? What would you say if another prospect then asks, "What makes you unique?" Or uncommon? Or distinctive? Or unusual? Or special? Do you have a compelling and differentiating answer at hand? If we're being honest with ourselves- removing all of those protective layers of ego - the answer to that question is probably "Not a lot." If you took a deep dive look at your business, your value proposition, and your positioning in the marketplace, you would find that your organization is quite a bit like your competitors. In today's day and age, too many organizations that I'm exposed to can't answer these questions in an articulate, relevant way. Yet, these questions are becoming increasingly important because, in today's competitive environment where there is an abundance of viable options, relevance has become the new mandate. You see... most distributors are trapped in a world of sameness. In your mind, you might already be objecting to these statements. You might be thinking that perhaps I don't understand your business. You may argue that your company has a lot of of value-added services, an amazing credit department, stock room capability and services, kitting services, extended hours, will-call express, and perhaps you even offer training programs to your customers. However, if you're truly being honest with yourself, if you were to look at your competitors list of value-added services, their list would be quite similar to yours. You'll realize that you, too, really are stuck in a world of sameness. In this essay, we'll explore the root causes of being trapped in the sameness trap and how you can and must begin the process of boldly creating real differentiation.

About the Author :
William Taylor, Co-Founder of Fast Company magazine said of Dirk: "Every field has its rabble rousers, change agents, thought leaders-people with the wisdom to understand the past, and the creativity to conjure up a new vision for the future. In the field of wholesale distribution, Dirk Beveridge is that thought leader." As one of the country's most outstanding speakers in the distribution industry, Dirk delivers a new voice, a new energy, and a new outlook. Dirk's custom tailored presentations deliver original, proven, and often disruptive thinking. His energy and passion for excellence are infectious and inspire audiences to step from the zone of comfort to unleash the urgency of change. Beveridge is routinely asked to speak on innovation, business strategy, sales, and leadership. As an entrepreneur Beveridge noticed that innovation was bypassing distributors, and so he founded UnleashWD in 2012 which is setting a bold agenda for over 300,000 distribution businesses. This one-of-a-kind and essential summit has helped hundreds already by delivering an outstanding immersive experience through amazing speakers, inspired networking and relevant tools. For over 30 years as a consultant to a wide range of companies, Beveridge has helped leading firms align, focus, and strengthen their sales and leadership strategies to remain relevant, outperform the market, and provide deeper value to customers. Visit www.DirkBeveridge.com for more information.