There’s something amazing about a good guacamole at a restaurant. It has nothing to do with whether or not you like guacamole. It has to do with why you’re there in the first place.
If you ask people about the restaurant that has their favorite salsa or other sauce, they usually have to think about it. They might come up with a couple of good places, most likely the last places they had a good salsa. Guacamole is different. It makes an impact. It creates a lasting impression. Once you have people thinking you have the best guacamole, they’re locked in to mention you any time the topic of guacamole comes up.
This can be applied to nearly any business. When businesses try to find a differentiator between them and their competitors, they often get generic. They focus on being the best provider of this service or that product. They might focus on company culture, commitment to customer service, or any of a number of cliches associated with differentiation. It’s not that these are invalid. They’re just not memorable.
Guacamole is. Find yours. As I posted on Fast Company:
The biggest challenge many businesses face when determining their differentiator is that they focus too hard on the obvious. Their product or service may be great compared to the competition, but that alone is not enough to set your business apart. If your a security software company and you have what you feel is the most secure anti-virus software in the industry, saying so will not be impressive. Everyone thinks theirs is the best.
JD Rucker 