Ask Mr. Marketing: Mapping your own opportunity

By Rob Weinberg

My family’s planning a summer vacation, and we’ve been reviewing maps to choose destinations. The exercise revealed the existence of just one Rancho Bernardo and one Poway in the world.

You could send mail to Poway sans state or zip code and it’ll arrive (the post office will LOVE me for that one!).

Yup – Poway and Rancho Bernardo are distinctive…and I smell opportunity. They’re different from every other community hustling for jobs, and that provides reasons for someone to do business with them.

True, Escondido shares our weather, but Escondido, Texas, is nice, too. And does Julian really share our community standards more than Julian, N.C., does?

Sorry, Ramona — Arizona has a town by the same name.

Before saying “Big deal!” and turning the page, examine why you shop where you do. Perhaps it’s the location. Or better service. Or a coupon. Or the free yogurt with every sale.

Whatever it is, that factor persuades you to buy from Joe over Sam, even if Sam is closer to you or charges less. Sam probably doesn’t duplicate Joe’s quality of experience.

So it is with our region’s weather, schools, workforce and lifestyle.

That’s why I vote for community leaders leveraging our uniqueness by appealing to businesses and people tired of living in “Anytown, USA.”

Think about it. There are a dozen Plainviews (I grew up in one of them) and 17 Springfields (Bart Simpson’s hometown).

While examining Ramona’s selling points, consider what’s special about your business. Do you offer a great view? Exclusive distribution rights to a product line? Incredibly fast delivery time? Singing waiters?

Every successful business has something to make it stand out of the crowd. Examine the competition and yourself, honestly and unemotionally. Find your “something” and follow the advice from Isaiah: “Shout it from the mountaintops.”

Promoting your unique features loudly and often can lure prospective customers, encourage referrals, and bring your business to the next level of sales.

Ignoring it could banish you to a lifetime of ho-hum revenues.

I”ll bet there’s something about you that’s being overlooked. And it could easily become the key to your future success.

With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.

Mr. Marketing specializes in finding special selling points for every business. Contact him at www.askmrmarketing.com.