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The Power of Differentiation in Business and Personal Branding: A Conversation with Roy Osing

Hello everyone, I’m Doug Thorpe, your podcast host, and today I’m excited to share with you a fascinating conversation I had with Roy Osing, a renowned expert on business and personal branding. We delved into the importance of differentiation in business and personal branding, a concept Roy encapsulates in his mantra, “be different or be dead.”

The Importance of Being Different

During our conversation, Roy emphasized the critical role differentiation plays in helping businesses stand out from their competitors. He criticized the common practice of using generic claims like “better” or “number one” without actually offering anything unique. According to Roy, being different isn’t about superficial characteristics, but about serving customers in a way that truly matters to them.

He introduced his solution, the “only statement,” which declares what a business is the only one at. This statement is a powerful tool for businesses to differentiate themselves and provide a compelling reason for customers to choose them over their competitors.

Strategic Game Planning for Differentiation

Roy also shared his strategic game planning process, which focuses on execution rather than spending excessive time on perfecting a customer journey. The process involves answering three key questions: how big the business wants to be, who the target customers are, and how the business will compete and win. The goal is to create a differentiation statement that sets the business apart and drives success.

The Power of Emotional Connection

We also discussed the importance of understanding customer needs and creating emotional connections with them. Roy mentioned the use of precise behaviors and language to convey the desired feelings and experiences for customers. I shared an example of a plumbing company that differentiates themselves through exceptional customer service and a fun interaction with customers. This emotional connection leads to higher customer satisfaction and fewer callbacks.

The Role of Employees in Creating Customer Loyalty

Roy emphasized the importance of the people within an organization in creating customer loyalty. He believes that successful businesses recruit employees who genuinely love interacting with and helping others, as this cannot be taught or trained.

He shared a story about a hotel that experienced a communication breakdown and how he was able to turn the situation around by understanding what the customer truly cared about. By apologizing, compensating, and giving a personalized gift, he was able to create a memorable and delightful experience for the customer, resulting in increased loyalty and referrals.

The Importance of Human Connection in B2B Relationships

I added that this concept applies not only to business-to-consumer (B2C) interactions but also to business-to-business (B2B) relationships. Even in B2B transactions, there is still a human being making the decision, and understanding their needs and desires is crucial. I suggested that becoming the go-to person or company for your ideal customers is the key to success.

The Power of Helping Others

We also discussed the power of helping others and how it can be a valuable currency in building relationships. We emphasized the importance of being able to connect people with solutions to their problems, even if there is no immediate benefit for oneself. We believe that the impact of helping others is long-lasting and memorable.

Wrapping Up

As our conversation came to a close, I thanked Roy for joining me on the show and asked him to share the best way for listeners to reach out to him. He mentioned that he can be contacted via email or through his website, where he also shares regular blog posts and resources related to the subject. He encourages listeners to have a conversation with him and explore how he can help them.

I want to express my gratitude to Roy for sharing his valuable insights. Remember, there is a video version of the episode available on our YouTube channel and we encourage you to leave comments and suggestions for future topics.

As we conclude, I encourage you all to go out and make it a great day. Remember, in business and personal branding, being different isn’t just an option, it’s a necessity.

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Small business owners will hit an invisible wall that can stall the growth of the company. The key reason there is a wall is that owners need to shift from manager to leader. The question is, how to do that?

Doug Thorpe. Doug is a coach for CEOs and Senior Leadership Teams with 30 years of leadership experience. He is the president & CEO of Doug Thorpe Group. Doug is also a podcast host.

He helps owners understand the ways they need to reshape their thinking and attitude to make a successful break through the wall.

Learn how to move from Founder to CEO.

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