You’ve probably heard it over and over again, companies and business professionals claiming they’re different and not like everyone else, implying that they’ll provide better service, cheaper prices or something else that’ll benefit the customer that can’t be found elsewhere. It’s a nice claim to make and although it sounds promising, unfortunately, it’s just not really believable these days. Come on! When’s the last time you really believed the self-proclaimed ‘Guru’ of something really was?

What’s so wrong about letting your customers or business partners know you’re different? Nothing, as long as you can back it up. We’ve become so reliant on using these buzzwords and catch phrases of business attempting to set ourselves apart when, in reality we’re really just broadcasting that we’re the same as everyone else. Learn to back up your “I’m different” statements with some action. Start with these four tips.

1. Ask More Questions: The first step to showing you’re different is to ask questions. Get to know your client better. Everyone has different business needs, which means a “one size fits all” solution should never be your first approach. Ask about their client demographics, understand who their customers are, get to know what they’re all about so you can provide a solution that truly is different and customized to fit their needs. Don’t stop asking questions until you know the why behind your client’s answers.
2. Get Personal: It’s great to know someone on a business level, but in order to really create a working relationship, you need to dig deeper. Ask about their family and find out what they like to do on the weekends. By knowing more about a client personally, you can get to know what ‘drives’ them. A busy home life? Time is the most valuable thing you can give them. Ambitious? Make them look like a hero and get them closer to that promotion.
3. Be Trustworthy: Everyone wants someone they can trust, especially in business. Become that trusted resource for your clients, even when something goes wrong. Be committed to meeting your deadlines and keeping your client aware of the process to prove you value their business. In the long run, your client will trust that you’re determined to do right by them.
4. Be Indispensable: The final tip to proving you’re different is to provide services that make it impossible for others to steal your business. If you become an indispensable resource to your clients, they will become unwilling, or even unable to go elsewhere for the same service you provide. Prove you’re different by going above and beyond expectations so your clients will become unwilling to move on from you.

Stop telling people you’re different, and start showing them! When others hear from your customers that you’re the ‘Guru’ – then it becomes believable.