So you are a new business owner and I can hear you saying: I don't have a enough budget. I can't afford to hire a bigger team. I cannot afford new equipment. I don't have a well-known brand.
Does any of the above seem familiar to you? The good news is that all of the above do not have to be a hindrance to your ability to start and run a business. What I want to share with you today is a concept I learned that helped me change the way I think of myself and my business.
HERTZ
While all the above may be true, it is up to you whether to position them as weaknesses or as strengths. It is really your choice. To survive in business, especially when you are small, you must be creative. You must always ask yourself, how can I turn my obvious weakness into a marketing advantage?
Avis used this marketing strategy brilliantly against Hertz, which is the biggest car rental company. Avis admitted in its ad campaign: "We're #2, so we'll try harder." The truth is Avis is not likely ever to pass Hertz as the biggest car rental company. But being #2 isn't bad. Most of us would take it and that is what Avis admitted honestly in its ad campaign and turned its second market position into a strength.
Over and over again, clients do not really care whether you are small or big as long as you fill their needs and serve them well. In the training business for example, I have noticed that many clients prefer small training companies over large ones because i) they are more flexible and receptive to their needs, ii) the client deal with the managing director of the company rather than with a junior account executive, and iii) the client receives closer attention and better customer service. All of these are an obvious marketing advantage of a small company.
Let me tell you that there are lots of heads of big successful companies who wish they could go back to just being one guy again starting a business. They were freer back then. They could get things done quickly. They were not held back by their own bureaucracy. If you think running a start up is a nightmare, try running a million dollar company. Morale of the story: Don't be held back by the limitations of your small business. Always think of ways to position those limitations as an advantage that would appeal to your clients.
How To Turn Your Weaknesses Into Strengths
About the Author:
Wessam is an entrepreneur coach and the First Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach in the Middle East. She helps aspiring entrepreneurs to start and grow their own successful service businesses.
http://www.itsrainingclients.com
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