What happens when everything is the same?

We give exceptional service! We have industry expertise in your area!

Every CPA firm has statements like these on their website and brochures. That leaves the client no choice but to focus on seeking the lowest price. The point is if everything is the same, the only difference to seek out is price.

That is the subject of a post by Greg Conderacci of our Business Learning Institute titled, Who are you? The answer's your key to success. It is based on a post by best-selling author, Seth Godin's post We're the same, we're the same, we're... where Seth specifically mentions accounting firms:

Take a look at just about any industry with many competitors -- colleges, hotels, sedans, accounting firms (especially accounting firms) ...

The websites bend over backwards to be just like all the others. You can't identify one hotel website from another if you delete the name of the hotel (unless there's a beach or a snow-capped mountain in the background).

Sometimes, we try so hard to fit in we give consumers no choice but to seek out the cheapest. After all, if everything is the same, why not buy what's cheap and close?

How about a site that says, "Here's why we're different." And means it.

In an industry where competition is intense, every firm -- indeed, every CPA -- should be able to answer the question, "Why you?"  Why should a prospect select your firm over all the others?  If your website or your marketing literature or your colleagues don't have a good, DIFFERENTIABLE answer, you're in trouble.

Surprisingly many firms THINK they are differentiating themselves ... until they look at other websites that say the same thing as they do.

Yet, there is hope. In essence, firms sell their people and people are infinitely differentiable.

How do you differentiate your firm?  By answering fundamental questions about who you are -- really.

Want to learn more?

Greg gets rave reviews on helping organizations differentiate themselves, build consultative selling skills and is one of our top leadership instructors. Check out Greg's upcoming instructional schedule for public classes:

Caesar's Wife: Tipping the Delicate Balance of Leadership and Ethics: Sept. 17 | Oct. 20 | Oct. 21 | Nov. 16 | Dec. 22

Nov. 16: Leadership Inside Out: Discovering the Leader Within

Nov. 17: Selling for CPAs: Using Your Problem-Solving Skills to  Promote Profitable Business Growth

Nov. 17: Energy Management: Finding the Strength to Get it Done

or check out our on-line catalog for all of Greg's programs and others you can have brought on-site to your organization by clicking here, then contact Pam Devine for more information pam@bizlearning.net

Comments

[Chris Zdunich]

This is a valid point. In a mature industry like accounting, with many strong firms, differentiation is difficult.

We are not bending over backward to have our websites be like everyone else. Website differentiation is difficult also.

[Accounting Firm in New York]

Great post! Since we all are performing almost the exact same service, I believe the main differentiation factor is execution. If you can do great for a client, and they tell someone else how great your services were, then you are different and you're ahead of the game.