Always Add Value
By Michael Drummond

How do you keep your customers/clients buying from you, rather than your Competitors?

This is a dilemma for most businesses. Many business owners believe that the only way to compete with the competition is to...you guessed it, lower their prices. This of course is a recipe for a downward spiral to disaster for all concerned. Surely there has to be a better way? There is, and it is simple - Add More Value.

Think about it, the more value you add, the more innovative you are, the more difficulty the competition has in keeping up with you. Value is important. It goes without saying that, in terms of your core service and product, these should at least be comparable to, preferably better than that of your competitors. Your product must be 1st class, and your pre- and post-sales service should be second to none. This is fundamental to your core business.

But in and of themselves, these may not be enough to maintain your customer loyalty. People are fickle, they are easily distracted by the next offer, price etc. But it is also true to say that the more your business can add to the quality of their business, life; work, or enjoyment, then the more likely they are to remain loyal customers.

Assuming that you truly do believe that your product and service is second to none, what else can you do to add value for customers or clients that will reward you with both their loyalty and their cash?

Well, the key to your competitive advantage is to GIVE MORE than others in your market. More help, more information, more education; more bonuses - more of anything that will provide your customer/client with value, over and above what others provide.

But, I hear you say, my service and product are all I have, what else could I possibly give? Well, let's consider a few options.

Let's say you are selling e-books (or websites, or anything else for that matter). Okay, so there are lots of people selling e-books, try these suggestions for distancing yourself from the pack.

1. Write a Report titled (for example) `Here's the secret to successful e-book sales' or `Who else wants to discover the secret of e-book marketing?' You get the drift. In your report, highlight the pros and cons of selling e-books. Tell them where to find them, how to produce their own, how to find niches, how to get their own ready-made website, tell them about pricing. Teach and inform them about the world of e-books.

If possible, make your report FREE. People love freebies. If not, set it up as a $7.00 report, but FREE is preferable.

2. Produce a monthly Newsletter, again FREE if possible. Provide up to date information about your niche service/product. Add links to other (non-competitive) sources where people can find additional information which may be appropriate to their needs. Where possible, create JV's (Joint Ventures) with other Marketers who may have products which may be of interest to your readers.

3. Create a Blog! A Blog is nothing more than an on-line diary and you can use it to post anything and everything from family events to business opportunities. Sign up for a blog and describe your product/service, much as you would do in the FREE report. Highlight your benefits, your USP etc. One of the great benefits of Blogs is that your readers can leave you Feedback. This is a great way of monitoring what people want, how they perceive your product/service; what you can do to improve your product and service delivery. Big Companies spend fortunes trying to guage their Customer needs, you can have these comments delivered straight to your Blog!

4. Make a brief video of yourself (or someone representing you) and introduce viewers to the benefits of your service. This is essentially a visual representation of your report and/or Blog (above). It does not have to be lengthy, nor professional. It can be an Amateur production as long as it is seriously produced and introduces viewers to the benefit of your product(s). Upload this to YouTube, provide people with the link in your newsletter/blog/e-mail signature etc, and watch the response. Video is rapidly becoming the face of business on the WWW and you can gain much competitive advantage by taking the time to utilise this valuable resource. Refer viewers from your Video to your report or Blog.

5. Why not create a (profitable) Membership Website around your business? This is an article on it's own but there is plenty of information around relating to the setting up of Membership Websites (Google it and take your pick!).

All of the above are means of adding value to your product or service. Try utilising them and watch your business grow exponentially!

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