You might know that one of my most trusted lieutenants is Charlotte Turnbull – she’s our Project Management whizz, and she makes sure all the Inspire KBB cogs continue to turn.
When it comes to work, Charly doesn’t leave an ‘i’ undotted or a ‘t’ uncrossed, but the other day she confessed to me that this isn’t always the case at home.
Take her boiler for example – she’d known for a while that it hadn’t been serviced for several years. As it was getting on a bit, she feared whether it could safely survive another winter … or even be safe!
But, it took a leaflet through her letterbox for her to finally take action.
It was a leaflet from a company offering boiler servicing. But it wasn’t just a leaflet from any old plumbing or heating company.
You see, the leaflet was from a company specialising in boilers which are at least seven years old, which Charly’s definitely is.
And it was the specificity of the message that struck a chord with Charly - that this was a company exactly for her. And that company immediately won her business.
When it comes to positioning your business, the narrower you can go, the faster and bigger you can grow, at least to begin with.
Inspire KBB is another example – you’re in kitchen retail, so we’re more likely to be noticed and resonate with you, than many other generic marketing companies, because we’re specifically in business to help independent kitchen companies, like yours.
One of the biggest mistakes many kitchen retailers make is doing the opposite of this – they try and be all things to all people - a generic business, with a generic message that doesn’t resonate strongly enough with anyone.
That’s why, when we work with our clients – we start by creating a positioning strategy:
Who are they?
What do they specifically do?
What do they stand for?
Who exactly do they best serve?
It’s an approach I encourage all kitchen retailers to consider. Because when you don’t specialise and niche into subsections of the market, you’re seen as ‘just another kitchen company’, with nothing much that helps you stand out from the crowd and become memorable.
In short, there’s no money in the middle – get specific to get paid what you’re worth.
So, here’s what I suggest:
Identify what your USP clearly is, and then start to drill down on the specific target market that’ll best resonate with that proposition.
Are you particularly design-led?
Do you specialise in contemporary German kitchens?
Do you specialise in more traditional British kitchens?
Could you come to dominate just one town, city or region?
Are you the best for those on a budget?
Get clear on this, then get it into your marketing messages, and you’ll find it a lot more effective.