#14 - Attract Customers with Your X Factor

Author

Nathalia Montenegro
June 17, 2023

Many brands struggle with marketing.

They live sale by sale, focused on achieving the next short-term number. They want to improve, but they don't seem to grasp how to put a marketing strategy together.

The main reason why this happens is that if you haven't first clarified your mind about why your business exists and why people should buy from you, marketing and long-term growth will be difficult.

Especially if customers start the conversation talking about price, you better know that there is a serious gap in your business strategy.

Today, I hope to bring you a different way to look at it and guide you a step closer to understanding what is truly unique about your brand and why people will want to buy from you.

Changing how you see your business changes everything.

What makes people buy from you instead of your competitors?

How does this question help you?

  1. It helps you identify what your unique value is (differentiation).

  2. Why people come to your brand in the first place.

  3. It informs you how your ideal customer makes a buying decision.

Let’s discover your answer by breaking down the question:

Part 1: “What makes people buy from you”

  • Of all the benefits people get from buying from you, what is the angle that they care about the most?

  • The angle or "x factor" cannot be about your product. Avoid things like "great quality or good service." These are things people only know AFTER they buy from your brand. These are also expectations, not something really special.

  • Try to think about what attracts them in the first place and motivates them to try your brand.

  • In marketing language, this is what we would call the "Value Proposition." It is a promise, a transformation. How will people feel after engaging with your brand? What will they experience within themselves?

  • Value is anything they care about.

Part 2: “ instead of your competitors?”

  • FYI, I'm the one who always says "Stop looking at what others are doing" and focus more on the value you have to give to people. However, there are two moments when we benefit from looking around:

    • 1 - When we want to know where we stand in comparison to others once we know what our "x factor" is. So we can reinforce the contrast.

    • 2 - To realize that we can find similar products easily. So we SHOULDN'T rely only on the product to communicate value but on the narrative around it (aka transformation, ideal customer).

  • The "uniqueness" doesn't need to be in the product itself. It can be about the buying experience, delivery, product design, or expertise in a narrow niche.

  • Another way to look at it is by asking: "What do I do better than anyone else?"

So the real question we're trying to answer is:

What is the story that connects you to the customers you want to attract?

So the real question we're trying to answer is:

What is the story that connects you to the customers you want to attract?

Let’s look into some examples of what it means.

Example:

You can easily find baby clothes everywhere, right? But if you're a parent, would you go for any baby clothes or for clothes that help the baby, and therefore YOU, to sleep better?

That's what Nested Beans is about. They wrapped their product around a narrative that is valuable to your baby and to you (the parent).

Also, the MOST important aspect is that it's not only a narrative; they embody it in the product, content, and experience. They have a comprehensive educational guide and resources about helping babies sleep better. (image below)

Now, it’s your turn…

Action step

👉 Set aside 20 min to work on your version of this prompt to get the clarity you need to set your business for authentic growth.

What makes people buy from you instead of your competitors? What is the story that connects to the customers you want to attract?

Week Recap

Warmly,

Nathalia Montenegro

P.S : Ready to find out exactly what you need to do next to grow your business?

Here's how I can help:

PS2: New here? Read the previous issues of this newsletter here.

#14