Dear Internet Friend,

In this post, I share the secret of using a Big Difference to build a successful business. It’s a simple secret, and it works universally, no matter what business you’re in.

But before getting into it, I want to make…

An Important Announcement About This Blog

I like to think of what I write to you as if I was writing to a friend. Which means - The only information I’ll ever send to you, is the same info I would be comfortable sending to my closest friends.

Business is a tricky thing – or it can be – and there is alot of information out there.

Seems like everybody with a computer is a published guru… How do you know what to listen to? How do you know what to ignore? If you spend all your time learning new techniques or business theories, you’ll never spend time doing what is important – working on your business.

I don’t pretend to be a business guru. I’m just a small business owner like you - trying to find that secret magic sauce to being successful. But every once in a while I run across a concept so powerful that I must send it on. Or I cross paths with a guru that can be of value – and I'll record an interview for you to download.

So with that thought in mind, I hope you’ve noticed - my mission is to respect your inbox and send only the most valuable information I have. That’s why you only hear from me once a week with a video or interview. I don’t have a "publishing schedule". I only want to bring valuable, actionable information. I promise that as long as I’m hitting the "send" button, I’ll never send junk. If you ever start to hate the info I’m bringing to you, removing yourself is as easy as clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any email.

But if you decide to stick around – I’ll do my best to bring you information that you can use to make your business better – right away. For example, today I’m going to show you…

How To Use A Big Difference To Build a Successful Business

Here is a letter that I would write my best friend… if he was asking for the one thing that makes him successful in his life (personal and business), it is an easy thing for me to identify…

Dear Brandon,

Why do you think your wife loves you so much? Even I wonder sometimes because you can be a real bonehead.

But you’re a funny bonehead. And you’re compassionate. You are a true friend and you’ve supported her through thick and thin for 12 years.

In other words – you are YOU. You’re different than everyone else. You just happen to be different in a way that your wife loves you for.

Now, I will switch gears on you completely and bring it back together later.

So… why do you think your waterfall construction business has been successful these last 8 years? When others like you have failed?

Lord knows it’s not because of your good looks…

It’s because you offer a high-end, specialized service, and you have positioned yourself as the guru of the field with artistic integrity.

In other words, you promoted YOU. You have an eye for nature. You make friends in an instant. You always deliver on your promises.

What am I trying to get at?

Since you’re the kind of guy with more brawn than brains, I’ll try to spell it out very simply.

The driving factor of your success is that you are different from your competitors in a Big way  - in your field, you stand out like a sore thumb.

In business, you need to stand out from the competition to be successful. You must be different from others to succeed! If a consumer doesn't see you as any different than the next guy, what incentive do they have to use your product/service? None.

What is a Big Difference? How can you get a Big Difference? Here are a few of the ways that I define the Big Difference:

1.  Your Big Difference must be obvious – if Joe Schmoe cannot tell the difference between you and the next guy, it is not obvious enough.

2. Your Big Difference must be simple – one definition of "simple" is that it is easily overlooked. Don’t feel like you need to have some kind of clever ingenious difference – just be better at customer service, or cheaper, or more expensive, or heavier, or more artistic, etc…

3. Your Big Difference must be relevant to your customers. If you’re different in a way that doesn’t matter to the person buying your product/service… it doesn't matter. In other words, your Big Difference must make sense in the context of your market.

4. Be a little crazy… the big players aren’t crazy – they already made it, now they are trying to play it safe. Here’s a quote from Ted Turner (inventor and founder of CNN) about winning the America’s Cup sailing race when he was just a kid. "I moved with speed. I plotted, schemed, and planned, and did crazy things…When you're little you have to do crazy things, you can't just copy the big guys."

Here are some ideas on how to develop your Big Difference:

1. Write it down on paper – it is easily communicated? It is amazing but when you write it down on paper it either pops out and makes sense or fizzles away to nothing. You'll need to be able to communicate your difference down the road anyway, so this step is critical.

2. Be a leader, be a bit of a rogue – this is your business. It should reflect your personality. Unless you just purchased a McDonald’s franchise, don't feel like your business needs to be like the next person's.

3. Tie your big difference into the greatest benefit a customer receives when doing business with you. The best differentiation is directly related to the benefit you offer your customer. For example:

If you sell jewelry from Thailand the benefit is exotic and unique jewelry, and the Big Difference could be a 5 year guarantee. Or, that you only sell the brilliant red rubys from a certain province of Thailand. (I don’t even know if rubys are found in Thailand…)

If you build websites for people the greatest benefit is a presence on the Internet, and the big difference could be that you specialize in direct chat inside the website. Or, you can be a professional copywriter and provide compelling content for the site.

4. A Big Difference is NOT EASY – If you think that your Big Difference is going to be really difficult to implement and maintain… then you’re probably on the right track.

Here is a diagram and excerpt from one of my favorite business books, “Jump Start Your Business Brain” by Doug Hall:

Quadrant 1: These ideas are hard to execute yet offer customers the same old stuff. These are an expensive waste of time and effort. Many high-technology research and development efforts end up as quadrant one ideas.

Quadrant 2: These ideas are easy to execute yet offer customers the same old stuff. Some executives call these "low, hanging fruit." The reality is these are commodity efforts that become huge organizational distractions. In addition, they are often "pitched" to the organization as something more than what they truly are, resulting in dramatic failures versus expectations.

Quadrant 3: These ideas are easy to execute yet offer customers a Dramatic Difference. These are great ways to make quick money; however, they must be pursued with great efficiency as they are usually short-term opportunities. As soon as you realize strong results, the competition will copy.

Quadrant 4: These are the ideas that offer the potential for sustainable growth. They are difficult to execute yet offer Dramatic Differences. They provide benefits to customers and barriers to competition copying. If you have a vision for long-term growth, this is where your vision should be focused.

Here is the last thing to take away: A Big Difference gets you noticed by the customer. Without being different, you are just another buzzing sound in the back of a consumer brain. Get a Big Difference – and get noticed, remembered, and acted on by your customers!

Now go shout your Big Difference out to the world!

Looking forward…

Travis

PS. In future posts, I may cover the best way to communicate your big difference. I.e., how to say it, where to put it, for greatest impact and effectiveness. Let me know if you’re interested in this topic…