As a retailer that works on behalf of many different brands, distinguishing your own offerings can be difficult to say the least. This is especially true when you consider that your competitors are selling a lot of the same (or at least, similar) products to your own.
This is why a differentiation strategy is so important - any opportunity that you can take to stand out in an admittedly crowded field is one absolutely worth taking. Luckily, creating this level of brand differentiation isn't necessarily difficult - you just need to keep a few basic things in mind as you craft an approach that works for you.
1. The Power of Customer Service
By far, one of the best ways to distinguish your brand as a force to be reckoned with involves going above and beyond what your competitors are able to offer in terms of customer service.
While it's absolutely true that there may be a lot of businesses out there who do what you do, nobody does it quite like how you do it. That core quality that makes you unique can absolutely become your competitive edge, and that particular road leads directly through your customer service efforts.
If you offer a better return policy than anyone else, or are known for high volumes of satisfied customer resolutions or help requests, these are absolutely the kinds of things that you need to make it a point to broadcast on your website and in your marketing materials. Not only does it show that you genuinely care about your customers, but it breeds an incredible amount of loyalty.
In addition, when you consider that US-based companies tend to lose approximately $41 billion every year because of poor customer service experiences, it's clear that this is one area of your business that is certainly worth paying attention to.
2. It All Comes Back to That Brand Identity
Another one of the most effective ways to differentiate yourself from your competitors involves taking a closer look at the brand identity that you're crafting in the first place.
According to one recent study, about two thirds of consumers say they build relationships with brands over important qualities like shared values. Not only do those shared values make someone more likely to make a purchase with you, but these types of customers also tend to spend larger amounts of money over time.
If you're particularly active in certain social causes or you do a lot of charity and other work with local organizations in your area, don't be afraid to put that information on your website. If you're throwing a fundraiser to support a worthy non-profit or are participating in any other events of that nature, be sure to let people know. It's a great way to make your brand relatable, and you'd be surprised by what a difference it can make. If someone is trying to choose between your brand and a competitor's and your social values more closely align with their own, it may become the deciding factor for that sale.
3. Research, Research, Research
Finally, one of the most important steps you can take to distinguish your brand from your competitors involves making absolutely certain that you know what you're distinguishing yourself from.
This means that you need to do a deep dive into what your competitors are actually up to - both in terms of the customer service experience they're offering as well as the way they're marketing their products, what they're doing on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and much, much more.
This helps you accomplish two key goals. First, it gives you a better idea of exactly what you're up against. If you identify any gaps in what they're doing, you know exactly what you have to do to step in and fill them. Secondly, it gives you a chance to see what efforts they're using that aren't working. Can you step in and execute them better?
But in the end, the most important thing you can do to distinguish your brand as a reseller involves never forgetting the people who matter the most: your customers. If you make every decision after first asking yourself "what do my customers want and need from me today?" you really can't go wrong. That customer-focused approach will form the building blocks of a mutually beneficial relationship that will serve you both well for years to come.
Want to learn more about how to tackle today's challenging marketplace? Our whitepaper, Selling to Today's Buyers, takes a different look at how you can distinguish your brand and lead the pack.
